Chapter 26 - Not a Troll (1)

As historically has been the case, the weekend passed in a flash. And as the evening approached, when he was finally freed from work on Monday, the streamer 'Purple'’s broadcast time was drawing near.

- Ah, lol, looking forward to today's broadcast.

- What new game are you going to play?

- Looks like it’s Deva from the voting results...

- Not going to play Bark again?

- Why would you when all the fun is gone?

- I’ve seen the true ending, time to play something else, lol.

The chat window was filled with viewers eagerly awaiting the broadcast. Most were fans of Bio Crisis, but they were actually requesting different games.

A moment later, the intro video ended, and the face of Lee Kyung-bok appeared.

"Hey! Nice to see you all!"

As usual, he greeted everyone with a smile.

- Hey, Purple!

- The break was too long, lol!

- Really, the weekend break was so long~

- Looks like the Purists are busy, lol.

The welcoming viewers made Lee Kyung-bok’s smile even warmer. However, he soon clapped his hands lightly to draw attention.

"Hey, I wasn’t just resting over the weekend. First, I have an announcement. We have a new family member, a manager, joining our broadcast!"

- Oh?

- Haha, the team is finally coming together?

- The new victim of the Black Company Purple...

- Hey, isn’t it called 'Hell' before that?

- Hurry up, Dohmhwangcha! Hurry up, Dohmhwangcha!

- Manager, loyalty, loyalty ^^7

The viewers welcomed the manager with jokes and greetings.

"And next, the broadcast schedule. Basically, I plan to stream five days a week, with two days off during the weekdays."

- What do you mean by that?

- You’re only going to stream five days a week?

- Compensate for the loss, Purple! Compensate for the loss!

- But you’ll stream 48 hours over the weekend, right?

The viewers immediately protested. However, Lee Kyung-bok’s words were not yet finished.

"That’s just the basic schedule. If I feel good, I might stream on the weekends too. Maybe even every day?"

Originally, he planned to take two full days off. But his friends opposed this decision.

Park Joo-ho advised that he should work harder since the broadcast was not yet stable, and Choi Byung-hoon analyzed that the number of loyal viewers was not enough for a two-day break.

Ironically, the people who needed a break said one day was enough.

'So, the result is a mixed schedule.'

The same situation can be perceived differently depending on how it’s expressed.

If you start with a six-day schedule and take one day off, it feels like a loss. But if you start with a five-day schedule and add an extra day, it feels like a gift.

"But this week, I feel good, so I’ll go with a six-day schedule."

- 5252! We trusted you!

- Ah, lol, a six-day schedule is the king’s move.

- In the end, even the weekends are being taken away by the Black Company Purple...

- If it’s a Black Company Purple, shouldn’t it be a seven-day schedule?

- That’s right.

As expected, the viewers’ reaction was not bad.

['ThatIsWhatIWant' donated 5,000 won.]

[Oh, what game?]

['NewGame!' donated 1,000 won.]

[Let’s ask what game you’re playing today...]

Just as the donations came in, Lee Kyung-bok bowed deeply.

"I was just about to talk about that. First, I want to deeply thank all the viewers who voted on PerTube."

- Haha, donations are a loss.

- Can’t wait any longer, lol.

- Asking once was a good move, lol.

- Please, if you’re Korean, subscribe to PerTube!

The early viewers, who had been eagerly awaiting the broadcast, had mostly participated in the voting.

They waited for Lee Kyung-bok to speak.

"I carefully chose from the games you recommended after watching the introduction videos. And the game I chose is... "

Lee Kyung-bok paused slightly.

The viewer count was about 1,800. At this point, it was safe to assume that everyone who would join had already joined.

- Right now!

- Will it be revealed in 60 seconds?

- Ah, lol, I’m getting dizzy!

- Stop the MusicNet-style production!

As Lee Kyung-bok spoke, he opened the game’s login screen.

"It’s Mystic League!"

Mystic League.

It was the VR sequel to 'Legend League,' the most popular game during the heyday of PC games, developed by the same company.

- ?????

- Mystic League?

- Why are you playing that?

- Didn’t it get the lowest votes?

The chat window was filled with question marks. After all, most of his current viewers were people who had come from Bio Crisis.

They mostly enjoyed story-driven package games rather than online games.

- Uh...

- This is unexpected.

- I’ll have to come back when you play something else...

- If you’re going to play Mystic League, it’s better to watch another stream.

Naturally, the reaction was lukewarm, and some viewers showed signs of leaving.

Any other streamer would have been flustered, but Lee Kyung-bok remained calm. He had expected this level of reaction.

However, there was a reason he chose this game.

"Actually, I received an offer to join a professional team in Legend League when I was in high school."

- ???

- A pro offer in high school?

- Ah, lol, you were different from the start.

- Smells like MSG?

This time, the chat window was filled with different kinds of question marks. The viewer count, which had been decreasing, suddenly stopped.

The viewers were interested in the streamer Purple’s old story, or as they put it, 'a tale.'

"It’s a hundred percent true. I received offers from three places. Tier One, Dandy, and Genesis Diamond."

- Wow?

- Haha, that’s impressive.

- Offers from the top three?

- Ah, lol, I don’t believe it.

- But if it’s Purple, it’s believable.

The viewers were skeptical.

Without any concrete proof, it was only words, and that was to be expected.

Unfortunately, Lee Kyung-bok hadn’t anticipated this and had no way to prove it.

['ReallyReallyTrue' donated 5,000 won.]

[What? Why didn’t you go?]

The donation that followed represented the viewers’ questions.

"Thank you for the donation. It’s a personal matter, so I can’t go into detail. At that time, I was going through a tough time. My parents passed away in an accident."

He couldn’t talk about his condition, so he revealed a bit of his family history.

- Oh...

- Ah...

- :(((((((((((

- I didn’t know...

The chat window became solemn.

Lee Kyung-bok waved his hand at the reaction.

"No, it’s okay now. A lot of time has passed, and my parents would be happy to see me so loved."

With Lee Kyung-bok’s words, the chat window was flooded with crying emojis.

['PurpleIsTheBest' donated 10,000 won.]

[You’ve grown up well!]

"Ah, thank you for the donation. That’s why I wanted to play the sequel to Legend League when I started streaming."

Lee Kyung-bok smiled brightly, trying to keep the mood light.

- If it’s Purple, Mystic League might be fun, lol.

- I have to watch the first game no matter what!

- Everyone, take your seats!

- Maybe Purple will make Mystic League 'Perfect'?

The final viewer count was around 1,700.

And so, Lee Kyung-bok’s new broadcast began.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Choi Byung-hoon’s apartment.

Choi Byung-hoon, the landlord, and Park Joo-ho, who was sitting next to him, were monitoring Lee Kyung-bok’s broadcast.

"Mystic League..."

Park Joo-ho adjusted his glasses and tilted his head.

"Kyung-bok was indeed known for being good."

He and Lee Kyung-bok were classmates, so he had heard about the pro offer during their school days.

Back then, students who didn’t play Legend League were few and far between, so it was common knowledge among the entire school.

"But it’s been almost ten years since he played. Is this okay?"

Choi Byung-hoon scratched the back of his head in response.

"Well, there are definitely a lot of variables. A lot has changed since the transition to Mystic League."

Legend League, which was played with a keyboard and mouse, and Mystic League, where the player becomes the character, are fundamentally different games.

With the change in control methods, most of the champions from the previous game have been replaced.

"Yeah, it’s a completely different game."

"Everything has changed. But..."

Choi Byung-hoon, who had been nodding, suddenly smiled.

"Kyung-bok hasn’t changed. And there’s the nature of the genre."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever played Legend League with Kyung-bok?"

"......You know what I was doing back then, right?"

Park Joo-ho’s eyes narrowed. Choi Byung-hoon, feeling a bit guilty, chuckled and shook his head.

"No, that’s not what I meant. Anyway, Kyung-bok’s greatness isn’t just about being good with champions. His map awareness and game sense were exceptional."

The game’s core mechanics haven’t changed much, so adapting shouldn’t be too difficult.

"But there’s another point that makes me excited."

"What is it?"

Choi Byung-hoon’s smile grew wider.

"Playing with a controller? That couldn’t capture all of his physical skills."

Park Joo-ho, still puzzled, didn’t ask further.

Seeing is believing.

This was because Lee Kyung-bok had already chosen his character.

* * *

Lee Kyung-bok had already chosen the character he would play while selecting the game.

A ninja named 'Yami,' dressed in a black robe with ancient script, was an assassin specializing in magic damage.

With 'Chakra' as the base stat, Yami could form hand seals to use various elemental abilities, making him versatile.

'This feels like a mix of the assassin Kha’Zix and the shaman Lulu from Legend League.'

The appearance and weapon were like 'Kha’Zix,' and the skill set was similar to 'Lulu,' known for its stance changes. Lee Kyung-bok chose it because it was similar to the champions he used to play.

- ?????

- You’re picking Yami?

- No way...

- Bro? Is this your first time playing?

The chat window’s reaction was not positive. Even among those who preferred package games, there were no Mystic League novices.

- Haha, Yami, yummy~

- Is this a volunteer meta?

- Not 'Perfect,' but a troll...

- It’s just a tutorial, so it’s fine, lol.

- Lol, it’s a poop show!

In the player community, Yami was known as 'yummy' rather than 'dark' because of his low health and the difficulty in mastering hand seals. He was also vulnerable in close combat due to the inability to act while forming hand seals.

"Is it that bad? I thought it looked cool from the intro video."

At this, the chat window filled with frowning emojis.

- Bro, it’s really poop.

- Lol, the pick rate has been in the gutter for a long time.

- If you play this, we’ll ask your name and check your family tree, lol.

- You might get reported for intentional trolling, lol.

- Seriously, a dodge trigger...

Lee Kyung-bok was genuinely puzzled by the negative reactions.

"That’s strange. Isn’t the magic assassin not popular these days? In Legend League, it was always a must-pick in the jungle."

- When was that, lol!

- It’s easier to aim with a controller, but not now.

- Lol, forming hand seals is hard enough, but hitting the jutsu is even harder.

- Without kiting, it’s a one-shot kill, and that’s too hard in VR, lol.

- Generally, only high-level players touch ranged junglers.

- With close-combat junglers being hard enough, a ranged jungler? Lol.

The difference between PC and VR was significant.

From a top-down perspective, aiming and judging distance was much easier than in a first-person view.

Therefore, beginners typically started with characters suitable for close combat to get a feel for the game.

However, Lee Kyung-bok wanted to show what he was good at.

"But I was really recognized as a jungler. I didn’t get those pro offers for nothing."

He was confident he wasn’t a beginner. At least in AOS games, he had what you might call 'swagger.'

- Our Purple has such determination?

- But he’s not a top-tier player, this is a different level.

- Don’t say that!

- But the jungler was important back then.

- Latte... Two-leaf latte is the best!

Especially the jungler, who could lead the overall flow of the game.

No wonder the term 'jungle difference' was used as a standard phrase among players.

- That’s more of a pro league thing...

- In regular games, playing the jungler is just asking for trouble.

- Huh? We’re just here to have fun, right?

- In lower tiers, it’s common not to have a jungler, lol.

- Lol, even in mid-tiers, it’s rare.

- Lol, even mid-tiers want to have fun!

- Let’s play more 3v3 maps!

- If 3v3 ranked games appear, the jungler will be the first to be cut, lol.

Despite the flood of comments, Lee Kyung-bok read the chat and widened his eyes.

"3v3?"

The chat window was filled with 'lol.'

- Why does it feel like our uncle’s reaction?

- High-tier players often play 3v3 maps without a jungler, lol.

- Suddenly, Purple feels so much older.

- Lol, it’s like watching our dad.

- ???: This isn’t AOS!

- What’s this, like putting in dentures right after taking them out, lol?

A map where each player takes one of the three lanes. The importance of teamwork is lower, but the stress from teammates is also reduced.

The viewers found his reaction more entertaining than the game itself.

"Wow... The world has really changed."

Despite his age, Lee Kyung-bok felt the generational gap. The gap between the PC and VR generations was wider than he thought.

Right then,

['Agent Q' has proposed a quest!]

[Condition – Win three consecutive games with the 'Yami' character.]

[Success – 1,000,000 won]

[Failure - Admit that 'I was a noob']

A quest came in.

- Haha, Agent Q is still around.

- Wow, lol, waiting for the game to change.

- Appeared just now, right?

- Not just three wins, but three consecutive wins? Is that fair?

- Lol, should it be 300?

The viewers’ attention immediately shifted to the quest.

"Ah, thank you for the quest, Agent Q. It’s been a while."

Lee Kyung-bok greeted him with shining eyes.

"Refusing this valuable quest wouldn’t be 'Perfect.' I’ll take the challenge."

It was a great reason to overcome the viewers’ opposition.

- Purple, don’t cross that river...

- What? Hinting at a 24-hour stream?

- Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s going to be super entertaining, lol.

- Agent Q, will he reclaim his agent