Chapter 12 - Opening a Qube Channel

The preview cutscene for Chapter 3 ended. The chat window was a whirlwind of excitement.

-WA! Unexplored area!

-Oh lol, this is the hidden route!

-This is the real 'Perfect.'

-Swish lol, no wonder no one has 100% achievements.

-Is the developer out of their mind? How can anyone clear this insane difficulty?

-???: I cleared it.

The unveiling of the new area signified the expansion of the game's volume. Or, to be precise, since it had always existed, it was more fitting to call it a discovery.

-Wow... but it's sealed off by soldiers?

-The original route was just a fight with the pharmaceutical company, right?

-This scale is suddenly getting huge!

-It went from fighting a pharmacy to involving a national level lol.

-How did they shut the developers up lol?

Along with this, the viewers instinctively realized that there were stories in Bio Crisis that had not been revealed.

Naturally, the anticipation could not be more heightened.

-Oh lol, 1000 hours of playtime is totally possible.

-900 hours will probably be spent clearing the hidden route lol.

-Us regular folks will have to wait for the mods lol.

-The Purple Mode will be out soon lol.

-You mean the One-Shot-One-Kill mode? Or the Sandra romance mode?

-Obviously both, damn it!

In front of the hopeful viewers, Lee Kyung-bok said,

"I'm not sure since this is my first run, but from the chat window, it's definitely good news."

-1 is such a big deal for the first time.

-It's amazing that it's the world's first, let alone the first run.

-First run of Bark? Seriously?

-The newcomers are stunned lol.

-Reality is stranger than fiction, they say.

-Oh, is this a tease for the next episode?

The chatting viewers suddenly changed when someone mentioned the tease.

-What! Who dares to use such a vulgar word!

-What... what? Say it again.

-Bring out the dogwood!

-I believe in you, I believe!

-This is the ultimate king move lol.

Naturally, no one wanted the broadcast to end.

After all, this was just the beginning. Stopping here was simply out of the question.

"Yes, you have a good sense. That's it for today's broadcast."

And Lee Kyung-bok had been doing such impossible things.

-Bro? Bro? No way, bro? Huh?

-Spitting while smiling is his trademark.

-Oh lol, I was the only one being serious again?

-You're taking jokes too seriously lol, almost got me lol.

-I'll hold my breath until you continue!

-Is there a streamer who stops the first reveal?

-I'll sue you for some crime if you stop.

The viewers quickly flattered and coaxed Lee Kyung-bok, even resorting to half-joking threats.

"Thank you for watching today's broadcast. I'll be back in the next one."

But Lee Kyung-bok was too strong to be swayed by such words.

-Stop it! Please stop! We'll all die if you keep this up!

-Haha, don't go! Haha, don't go! Haha, don't go!

-Don't leave me! Don't leave me! Don't leave me!

-STAY! STAY! STAY! STAY!

-What a inhumane tease!

The viewers tried their best to hold him back, but Lee Kyung-bok smiled brightly and said,

"Bye!"

The screen went black with a pop.

Lee Kyung-bok opened the capsule and came out.

'Sure, the high-end model is better.'

Just like before, he was in perfect condition, and a smile naturally appeared on his face.

At that moment, a buzzing sound was heard. It was a message on the smart link.

"Huh."

<Hey, I'm coming to your place.>

It was Choi Byung-hoon, his friend and editor.

* * *

"We need to create a Qube channel."

Choi Byung-hoon brought up the main topic as soon as the door opened. He was in such a hurry that his hair was disheveled.

"Qube?"

In response to Lee Kyung-bok's question, Choi Byung-hoon explained the necessity of a Qube channel. Lee Kyung-bok listened to his friend's words seriously.

"That's true. I saw it in today's broadcast. The title 'first' is indeed significant."

"Right! Exactly! Hey, I prepared it perfectly. Check this out."

Choi Byung-hoon showed the works he had prepared while monitoring. Lee Kyung-bok looked at the samples he showed and chose a layout he liked.

"Wow, when did you prepare all this?"

"Does this make me feel like a pro now?"

"You're really good at this?"

"Damn, I have the skills of an editor, you know."

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled at the proud Choi Byung-hoon. Choi Byung-hoon, looking relieved, said,

"Anyway, thanks. I was wondering what to do if you refused."

"It's all for the best, so what's the problem?"

"Alright then. Oh, this might sound a bit abrupt, but do you have any plans for the next game?"

"Next game?"

Lee Kyung-bok's eyes widened. It was only the second day of playing Bio Crisis, and he was already talking about the next game.

"No, it's related to the Qube channel."

"Why?"

"Don't you watch Qube? Have you heard of the algorithm?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it."

Qube algorithm.

It referred to Qube recommending other videos based on the viewer's data.

"Right, and this is important. The channel concept needs to be clear for the algorithm to work well."

"Oh... I think I've heard of it before."

Lee Kyung-bok nodded.

He wasn't really interested in Qubers, but he had quite a bit of experience watching videos recommended by the algorithm.

"Right. There are various concepts in gaming channels. Some focus on one game, others on a specific genre, especially horror. Some only play online games and don't touch package games."

"Hmm..."

Lee Kyung-bok hummed.

What Choi Byung-hoon was concerned about was the identity of the channel. How would the world perceive Lee Kyung-bok as a streamer?

After a moment of thought, Lee Kyung-bok spoke.

"...While streaming, I realized something."

"Go on."

Choi Byung-hoon sensed that it was his turn to listen.

"Actually, I thought that being good at games was enough. It's not much different from preparing to be a pro gamer in high school."

That was Lee Kyung-bok's thinking.

Games were something you had to be 'good' at. But the actual experience of streaming was different.

"But it wasn't like that. In fact, the content of the game isn't that important. The key is how much the viewers enjoy it."

"Right."

"Actually, it doesn't matter if I'm not good as long as people find it entertaining. Well, I've never been bad, so I can't really say."

"Wow, that statement is a bit arrogant, isn't it?"

"It's the truth, you know. Anyway, the important thing is that I feel good when people enjoy it. It feels like I'm getting a lot of love."

"That's the taste of streaming."

"Right. And I can see the number of viewers increasing, so I'm getting a bit greedy."

"It would be strange if you weren't. That's the kind of person who does streaming."

"Right. So, here's my decision."

Lee Kyung-bok calmly stated his decision.

"I don't think we need to rely on the algorithm."

"Hmm..."

"We don't need to force a concept. If I force it, the viewers will know."

"Right."

"Right. Even if it doesn't seem right to you as an editor, this feels right to me. I won't compromise on this."

Lee Kyung-bok spoke firmly.

I have to enjoy it to make the stream enjoyable. And the stream has to be enjoyable for the viewers to have fun.

In just two days of streaming, Lee Kyung-bok had grasped the principle of streaming.

"Ha... Kyung-bok."

Choi Byung-hoon shook his head, rubbing his forehead.

"Damn, you're a tough one."

"Huh?"

"Do you know what people call someone like you? A comprehensive game streamer, or a 'Zonggams.'"

Choi Byung-hoon's face was full of a smile.

"The one who can become the biggest! A stem cell-like streamer who can venture into any field!"

"...Isn't that a bit of a strange metaphor?"

"Whatever! It seems like you're destined to walk the path of success. Ha, geniuses are geniuses for a reason."

Choi Byung-hoon thought this half-jokingly, half-seriously. Most of the streamers he had worked with collapsed the moment they didn't enjoy streaming.

'There are many flash-in-the-pan streamers, but few who last long.'

But Lee Kyung-bok was already set in his mindset. He was a friend with a strong mental fortitude, and even if someone tried to break him, it would be difficult.

"Since we did a package game this time, let's try a multiplayer game next."

"Ah, co-op or online games are good. They work well for streaming."

Choi Byung-hoon's eyes sparkled.

'Whether he knows it or not... '

With Lee Kyung-bok's physical abilities and skills, standing out among other gamers was a given.

And if he was lucky, he might even get exposure on other streamers' broadcasts.

With Lee Kyung-bok's level of performance, he could even attract the viewers of those broadcasts.

It was a win-win situation.

'Is this fate or something?'

Choi Byung-hoon didn't say this out loud. He lightly clapped his hands and changed the topic.

"Okay. Think about the next game when you have time. The next thing I want to talk about is the chat window."

"Chat?"

"Right. When people gather, strange people gather too. You know that saying, 'When five people gather, one is trash.'"

"...Is that a saying?"

"These memes... Never mind. It's better to learn naturally rather than forcing it. Anyway, didn't you notice? We had some long-winded trolls this time."

"Ah, you're right. They were a bit strange."

Lee Kyung-bok nodded.

After the subway and elevated road vote results, some serious chat messages appeared.

Although they were buried by other viewers' comments, they were far from enjoyable.

"Your broadcast is growing faster than you can imagine. There will be more of these people. Of course, with your mental strength, you'll be fine even if they try to muddy the waters, but the important thing is the other viewers."

"Is there a solution?"

"For now, using a chat management bot is the best. It filters and deletes excessive profanity and spoilers."

"Ah, there's such a thing? Then it's settled."

"No, but it's a program, so there are limits. The best way is to have both a bot and a manager..."

"Manager? Hmm... Isn't it a bit premature?"

Choi Byung-hoon agreed.

No matter how fast it was growing, it was only the second day of streaming. While it was possible to hire one, rushing into it could lead to the stream collapsing due to a bad manager.

A manager had to be someone you could trust.

"For now, just be aware that you might need a manager. I'll handle the non-gaming aspects."

"Ah, so I don't have to do anything?"

"Just focus on the stream."

"Ha, got it. Manager... Wow, it feels more and more serious."

"Right. So, let's go over the video edits now."

"Okay."

* * *

Late evening.

The time when office workers, after finishing their meals, enjoy a brief leisure.

On internet communities, review posts about Purple's stream were topping the charts.

[(Major Spoiler!) Bark's Unexplored Area Discovered (999+)]

[Sandra's Triple Transformation, Real? (887)]

[Is Golden Shotgun Obtainable in First Try? (817)]

[Logan Shack's Strict Education, Haha (589)]

[(Spoilers Ahead) Chapter 2 Boss Battle Highlights (471)]

These posts, uploaded after the stream ended, started receiving recommendations on the way home and made it to the top.

[What is Purple, Anyway?]

[I read all the top posts.

Is this person real?

Where did this person suddenly come from?]

[-Person? They're still in shock.]

[-lol, after watching God Play, they're calling him a person.]

[-Blasphemy!]

[-Praise Purple! Praise Purple!]

[-God Play has given us new land!]

[-Shining Play! Shining Play! Shining Play! Shining Play!]

Especially the users of the Bio Crisis community, which had been losing popularity, deified Purple.

They thought they had squeezed out all the juice, but it turned out they had only been holding a corner.

However, not all the posts were positive.

[Watching Purple's live stream and acting superior is disgusting.]

[I'm writing this because I got annoyed while reading the top posts. These Bark bugs swarm around and only cause trouble, offering no help at all.

Is it a sin to ask about the context while watching a clip?

These bastards are saying things like 'King viewing is cool,' 'Pinkfsh, hurry up,' 'Didn't watch the live stream? You've lost half your life.'

Who said they didn't watch it, you bastards?

I asked what time to start watching, and they swarm around and start yelling.

Do you think I only watch streams like you, you unemployed bastards?

I know what kind of person Purple is, even without watching him.

I'm so disgusted, I'm quitting this Bark bug community.]

[-Wow... What a masterpiece.]

[-Honestly, some people deserve to be called Bark bugs.]

[-Really, they're quitting lol.]

[-Just to clarify, Purple isn't that kind of streamer.]

[-Anyway, trolls are trolls wherever they go.]

Some viewers who watched the live stream revealed a strange sense of superiority in the community.

There was a risk that this resentment could spread to Purple.

Just as the community was overheating,

[Purple's Qube channel is up!]

[It's on the Try channel banner lol, I'm subscribing right away.]

It was the news of Purple's Qube channel opening.

[-What?]

[-lol, Purple's loss is now being compensated.]

[-Purple's loss lol, and he's only a 2-day streamer lol.]

[-You can't say that after watching the live stream. Withdrawal symptoms are kicking in.]

[-Wow lol, there's even a Sandra compilation.]

[-Did he hire an editor? Damn, he's a pro.]

[-A hero recognizes a hero!]

The internet, where word spreads faster than anything, quickly drew people to the Qube channel.

Choi Byung-hoon uploaded several videos, but the most popular was the Sandra cutscene compilation.

[-Sandra's beauty is insane lol.]

[-(1:28) Wow, there really is a Seowit德拉.

[-Is this Bark? Is it just the character source?]

[-No, it's a hidden route.]

[-Timeline summary. Please pin to the top.

(0:02) Glance 德拉

(0:51) Will 德拉

(1:21) Seowit 德拉

(1:57) True nature 德拉

(2:17) Shy 德拉

(2:52) Yas 德拉

(3:23) Honey 德拉

(3:59) Darling 德拉

(4:11) Trust 德拉]

[-This guy is insane lol.]

People were thrilled by the various sides of Sandra that they had never seen before.

And somehow, the news spread.

[-What the f...?]

[-Who is this guy? How can he change her?]

[-She never showed me that kind of emotion...]

[-Holy shit. She is so beautiful! Can I draw fan art? Contact me please!]

Comments from foreigners also started appearing, including some known illustrators.

On the other hand, the most shared video externally was a different one.

It was the 'gacha' video where the Golden Shotgun was obtained in one try. The reason was unexpectedly due to an external factor.

[The channel manager has pinned a comment.]

[AnatomyQA]

[World Taekwondo Federation? Sexually great!]

[Do you like the automatic translation?]

[View original]

[>WTF? Fxcking Awesome!]

It was the comment from the overseas stream