Chapter 5 - The New Streamer is Too Good (1)

Choi Byunghoon slumped into his chair.

"Wow... How did he become number one in the world, and the gap is enormous."

He was still in shock.

"I was a bit surprised too."

Lee Kyungbok smiled.

He felt a bit more confident knowing there was a significant gap between him and the top streamer in South Korea.

But who would have thought he would be number one in the world?

"Are you going to stream?"

"I have to."

"Yess! Yess! I like it!"

At Lee Kyungbok's answer, Choi Byunghoon jumped up and clenched his fists. Lee Kyungbok raised his hand, looking at his excited friend.

"But I have something to say."

"What is it? What? Hey, tell me everything. Okay? I'll listen to everything!"

"Shut up and listen."

"Ah, you, making me feel awkward."

Choi Byunghoon had an embarrassed look but soon leaned in to listen.

"Starting off with a serious approach doesn't seem like a good idea."

Lee Kyungbok continued with a serious expression.

"Like, I don't think it's a good idea to start by creating a YouTube channel and posting videos right away."

He was about to start broadcasting, and Choi Byunghoon would be his editor.

But even if he was a friend, he couldn't just work for free.

At least, it would be more reasonable to collaborate once the stream was profitable.

"Damn..."

Choi Byunghoon rubbed his forehead with a thud. His eyes were hidden, but his mouth was full of smiles.

"That's exactly what I was going to say."

"Huh?"

"It seems streaming is your calling."

Calling (天職)

A job given by heaven, a natural talent.

Choi Byunghoon chuckled and spoke.

"I was actually going to stop you if you tried to start off seriously."

"Really?"

"Yeah. These days, the industry is full of blood. It's not a red ocean, it's a blood ocean."

Choi Byunghoon, being an editor, was well-versed in the industry. He composed himself and spoke seriously.

"Are there only a few people who jump in because streaming is profitable? Many people are even operating it as a business."

"Even when we were in high school, it was a bit like that."

"Yeah. But from what I see, that's not the way to go. Why? Why would viewers watch the stream?"

"Just because it's fun."

"Right, but if you look at the needs more closely, it's different. Even if I explain it in detail, you won't listen, but in short, they want light and enjoyable streams."

Choi Byunghoon straightened his posture, almost like a private.

"But if a streamer tries too hard and becomes stiff, saying, 'I'm all in with my life for this stream,' would viewers enjoy that?"

"No."

"Yeah, it's incredibly stressful. When you enter the stream, you feel like this person will ruin their life. I came here to relax, not to share the weight of life."

"That meme comes to mind. 'Is it a festival? No, it's a funeral.'"

At Lee Kyungbok's words, Choi Byunghoon chuckled.

"Right, that's exactly it. Wow, you seem to have a good sense of streaming. Anyway, let's start casually and enjoy it. If the streamer is having fun, the viewers will like it too."

"Alright then."

At Choi Byunghoon's answer, Lee Kyungbok smiled contentedly and stood up. He had been wondering how to wrap up the conversation, but since they were on the same page, there was no problem.

Then, the next step was the real thing.

"Have you thought about the first game you want to play?"

Choi Byunghoon casually turned the monitor. The main page of the largest streaming site, 'Try,' appeared on the screen.

"Ah, I looked around a bit on the way here and bought one."

While coming from the capsule room to the apartment, he had been thinking about the content for the stream.

"Bio Crisis."

"Ah, that's not bad."

Choi Byunghoon flicked his fingers and typed the game name into the search bar.

[Bio Crisis]

[Viewers: 7,773]

It was a game set in a zombie apocalypse, famous in the PC and console markets. With limited ammunition and healing items, and a well-placed camera and enemy layout, it created tension and fear, becoming a classic.

It was so popular that it was even made into a movie under the English title 'Dweller Evil.' The movie also gained some popularity, leading to six sequels.

The game was also a remake of the original in virtual reality, which many streamers were actively playing.

"It's a bit past its peak now, but it's suitable for someone like us."

Games with many players also have many streamers. For a new streamer to gain attention in such a crowded field is like finding gold in sand.

It's better to choose a game with fewer viewers but less competition.

"And looking at your physical stats, this genre suits you well."

"Genre?"

"Yeah, there are generally two types of game streams: spicy and mild."

The mild type features skilled gameplay, allowing viewers to enjoy it comfortably. The spicy type, on the other hand, features the streamer struggling due to lack of skill, which viewers enjoy.

In the latter case, viewers can sometimes feel uncomfortable.

"But you're beyond mild, you're like a carbonated drink."

Choi Byunghoon quickly calculated. With Lee Kyungbok's physical stats, it would be like a refreshing soda.

"That's good, since you want to do it too."

If Lee Kyungbok hadn't decided, it would have been one of the games he would have recommended.

"Alright, then when do we start?"

"First, we need to get a capsule."

"Ah, right. Streaming from a capsule room would be a bit off."

"I'll look into it. I know a supplier who can get it at a good price. Let's split the cost."

"Huh? Why you?"

"Bro, this is all an investment. Since I suggested it, we should share the burden."

Choi Byunghoon had thought about fully supporting it, but Lee Kyungbok wasn't the type to accept it easily, which would have made him feel more burdened.

Splitting the cost would be enough to show his commitment.

"Alright, then."

Lee Kyungbok readily agreed.

* * *

A few days later.

After setting up and configuring the capsule, Lee Kyungbok decided to start the game right away.

'Oh.'

As Lee Kyungbok launched the game, he inwardly gasped. After the studio and logo passed like in a movie theater, a cutscene began.

'It's a hospital.'

The opening scene didn't give a sense of his body. It felt more like a dream.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know! There are too many emergency patients!"

"Hurry up!"

The hospital was in chaos.

People in white coats were running around frantically. What was unusual was the presence of many police officers.

"The radio is dead...!"

"What do we do?"

"Oh, God..."

The camera soon followed a nurse. With a creaking sound, the bed she was pushing entered a room.

"Who is this patient...?"

The nurse quickly grabbed a pen and chart. Suddenly, the world paused.

And faint letters appeared on the chart.

'Ah, it's asking for the character's name.'

It seemed the player could write the name directly. Lee Kyungbok thought for a moment but decided to stick with the default setting.

[Name: John]

With a pop, the screen darkened, signaling the end of the opening cutscene.

'Ah, it's starting.'

Lee Kyungbok felt his body.

He blinked a few times and stood up.

-Oh, Bark neungneung?

At that moment, a viewer chatted. The chat window appeared in a corner of his field of view, translucent.

"Hello, everyone."

Lee Kyungbok stretched and greeted them.

-Hehe, it's your first stream, isn't it?

"Huh? How did you know?"

He was genuinely surprised. Had it been that obvious that he had just started the game?

-Wow, it smells like a newbie!

-You don't even know about the profile disclosure setting!

Profile disclosure.

The streaming platform 'Try' provided a feature for viewers to easily check the streamer's game history.

'...Let's keep the conversation going while we play.'

If he just chatted with the viewers, there would be no point in starting the game. Lee Kyungbok straightened up and focused.

"It's strangely quiet. The hospital was in complete chaos during the opening."

Unlike the initial tense hospital scene, there was no noise.

-We should avoid spoilers.

-It smells like a newbie.

-Newbie!

At that moment, another viewer joined. In the early days, the difference between 0 and 1 viewer was significant.

A broadcast with 0 viewers was intimidating to join, but one with even one viewer was easier to leave.

"Yes, hello."

Lee Kyungbok whispered a greeting as if someone might hear.

-Hehe, already scared?

-Bark is a bit scary.

-This is really his first time.

-Really?

-That would be tough.

-Actually, it's better.

With someone to talk to, the chat became more active. Lee Kyungbok also felt less pressure.

Just then.

'...Again.'

His instincts were on high alert.

He sensed something ominous outside the room.

Lee Kyungbok instinctively grabbed the IV stand next to the bed.

-Oh hehe

-Should I use a mouse piece?

-Oh, in a zombie game, weapons are common sense.

Just as Lee Kyungbok was about to respond to the chat, a scream came from outside.

"Aaaaah!"

Lee Kyungbok immediately rushed to the door.

'The immersion is incredible.'

The scream was so vivid it didn't feel like a game.

-Oh, they're here.

-No spoilers.

-Who will ban the spoilers?

-There's no manager, who will ban?

-Then who will ban now?

Lee Kyungbok swallowed and slightly opened the door. A pungent, metallic smell of blood hit his nose.

The corridor was covered in dried, sticky blood, and the lights flickered intermittently.

"Huff, huff...!"

His heightened senses picked up the sound of heavy breathing. At the end of the corridor, a shadow was running under the flickering lights.

And more shadows were chasing it.

"Someone is being chased."

It was clear a zombie outbreak had occurred. Without waiting for the chat, Lee Kyungbok opened the door.

-Brave, I like it.

-That's what a man does.

-It feels good.

As soon as Lee Kyungbok stepped into the corridor, the owner of the shadow appeared. A muscular black police officer turned the corner, his face contorted in fear.

Their eyes met.

"Run!"

As he shouted, an animal-like sound followed.

Then, white gowns, now red, chased after him.

-Domhuangcha!

-Zombies, here they come!

-Ah, jujeum

The chat window filled up.

"Hurry!"

However, unlike the viewers' expectations, the police officer was still alive. He fired his gun at the zombies, buying time.

"It's a gun."

Lee Kyungbok's eyes lit up.

From the viewers' reactions, it seemed running away was the usual choice here, but he didn't want to do that.

"Taking this would be more convenient."

He immediately ran down the corridor.

-???

-Hehehe

-That's why neungneung can't stop streaming.

-Instantly a reitgak.

The number of viewers had increased to four. They all expected Lee Kyungbok to die.

-If you don't know, you'll die hehe

-Zombies: Rocket delivery is really fast^^

-The meat is friendly and the owner is delicious!

Despite the mocking chat, Lee Kyungbok smiled.

'It's already done.'

In the middle of a cross-shaped corridor with the lights off, zombies suddenly jumped out from both sides.

Had no one ever thought of this before? The developers must have anticipated this choice.

To counter it, they placed ambush zombies in the dark corridor.

'I know.'

But Lee Kyungbok was already aware of their presence. Knowing in advance made the response much easier.

"Ha!"

He held his breath and swung the IV stand. The end of the stand, like a hook, wrapped around the zombie's neck.

Lee Kyungbok pulled the zombie towards him, twisted his waist, and struck the head of the other zombie with the IV stand.

-What?

-???

-What is this?

The fluid movements were almost like martial arts from a movie. The two zombies were quickly knocked to the ground, helpless.

One had a caved-in head, and the other was still alive. But Lee Kyungbok immediately finished it off.

Sticky blood dripped down the IV stand.

Lee Kyungbok grinned.

"This game is fun."

He meant it.

His body moved as he had planned.

-Can a newbie do this?

-He must have played this 10 times?

-Who are you? Not a newbie!

The viewers' intense reactions.

And there were others who reacted intensely.

"Grunt!"

"Growl!"

The zombies hit by the police officer's bullets.

Lee Kyungbok took a deep breath and moved again.

'Five zombies left.'

The police officer's shooting skills weren't bad. The fallen zombies at the front blocked the way, allowing Lee Kyungbok to catch up.

"You...!"

The police officer, surprised to see him, exclaimed.

-Why is the police officer still alive?

-Masaka...!

-This dialogue is different?

-Is there another route?

-Is this a first-time reveal?

-Clip, let's make a clip...!

The number of viewers had increased to six. Even though it was text, their enthusiasm and excitement were palpable.

Lee Kyungbok smiled.

He instinctively felt the good momentum, like raising the anchor in a favorable wind.

"Wait! It's dangerous...!"

Before the police officer could finish his sentence, Lee Kyungbok's pupils moved. His eyes, which had been looking at the chat window in the corner, turned to a grotesque zombie.

'As expected.'

His heightened senses, more acute than in reality, mixed with a strange sixth sense. He naturally processed the flood of information like breathing.

The organized information transformed into the optimal method to overcome this crisis.

"One."

Lee Kyungbok swung the IV stand with full force. The leg of the approaching zombie bent and it fell.

The zombie following behind stumbled over the sudden obstacle.

"Two."

Lee Kyungbok, without resisting the momentum, turned and struck the back of the head of the fallen zombie.

With a crunch, the zombie's head shattered, crushing the one below it.

"Three."

The durability of the IV stand wasn't great. The end was bent, making it difficult to use as a weapon.

But it didn't matter to Lee Kyungbok.

He used the bent end of the IV stand to grab and pull down a zombie.

"Damn!"

The police officer didn't stand idly by. He cursed and fired his gun.

Lee Kyungbok was in the way, making it hard to aim, but it was different for the fallen zombies.

'As expected.'

It was as Lee Kyungbok had calculated.

"Dangerous!"

The police officer shouted urgently.

While his comrades were being attacked, the remaining zombies approached. The length of the IV stand made the situation more disadvantageous.

But this wasn't a problem either.

"Four."

Lee Kyungbok held the IV stand horizontally and pushed the zombie's mouth against the wall.

The rotten flesh couldn't withstand the pressure. The zombie's jaw broke, and it slid down the wall.

"No...!"

But one more remained.

The last zombie pounced on Lee Kyungbok's back. The police officer fired his gun in a panic, but...

Click.

The sound of the empty gun was heard. He closed his eyes tightly.

But then.

"Five."

A calm voice, not a scream, was heard. In front of the trembling zombie, Lee Kyungbok's face, splattered with dark red blood, appeared.

In his hand was a blood-soaked pen.

-What did I just see?

-What the...?

-There was a reason the default name was John hehe

-Are you from the Wick family?

-This is more like magical than physical!

The pen had been in the pocket of the gown of the zombie he had knocked down earlier. Lee Kyungbok immediately turned around and stabbed the zombie's eye, destroying its brain.

"The tutorial is easy because of this."

At Lee Kyungbok's words, the chat window was flooded with question marks. There were only six viewers, but without any limits on spamming, the side of the screen was filled.

-I'll follow you.

-Why is this a newbie?

-What the hell?

The reaction made Lee Kyungbok want to respond, but he couldn't.

His body suddenly stiffened and moved on its own, signaling the start of a cutscene.

"Are you okay?"

A pleasant, deep voice.

Surprisingly, John's voice was the same as Lee Kyungbok's, thanks to advanced voice synthesis technology.

"Thanks to you, I survived. How... No, that's not important."

The police officer gritted his teeth and handed over a gun and a magazine.

"There's a storage room for police equipment in the basement. There should still be some equipment left. This is the card key for entry."

A plastic card was handed over.

The chat window went wild at the police officer's words.

-Hidden! Hidden route!

-A wild hidden route has appeared!

-Why is this a newbie? Why is this a newbie? Why is this a newbie?

-Open donations. Open donations. Open donations. Open donations. Open donations.

-Streamers are police officers!

Lee Kyungbok was taken aback by the sudden chaos in the chat window.

'What...?'

A viewer looking for a newbie wouldn't be a newbie.