Chapter 6 - The New Streamer is Too Good (2)

The hidden route of Bio Crisis, revealed for the first time. Moreover, the fantastic physical performance shown by Gyeongbok.

Even though it was a very short play from the start to the first cutscene, it was enough to captivate the current viewers.

- Open the door, boss! Open the door, boss! Open the door, boss!

- I'll do it immediately. I'll do it immediately. I'll do it immediately.

- Ah lol, I won't eat you lol

- I won't harm you... We're not that kind of people...

However, the reactions of the viewers who came to Hakko's broadcast were somewhat different.

Gyeongbok didn't respond at first. Meanwhile, the cutscene continued.

"But if you give me a gun..."

"What's your name?"

"...John."

"Alright, John. I'm sorry, but I can't go with you."

The police officer smiled bitterly and slightly pulled up his pants. Dark red blood was streaming from his shin.

It was clearly a bite wound.

- Wow.

- I can't handle this reality!

- Developers, are they Satan?

- Ah lol, even Satan would be scared of this lol

The viewers who were shouting "Do it" also seemed shocked.

'The first scream I heard...'

Gyeongbok had a good idea of the situation. The police character was never meant to be saved from the beginning.

"Do you know what's happening outside?"

"No, I don't... remember well."

"Hmm, I might turn into one of those filthy corpses at any moment. So, I'll give you a brief explanation."

As John answered, the police officer moved his lips.

"People suddenly lost consciousness all at once. Due to this, accidents happened, and many people were injured. The police, fire department, hospitals... everything was paralyzed. Even a natural disaster wouldn't have caused this much chaos. And the corpses rose."

"So, outside is..."

"Horrible. The command structure is completely paralyzed. No one is receiving radio calls. This city is... practically in a state of anarchy."

Just as the police officer was about to continue, he started coughing. It wasn't just a cough; blood spurted out.

- Death flag ON

- He was a good cop...

- What, it's a common cliché

- Tears are blurring my vision...

Crying emojis began to fill the chat window. In the meantime, the police officer smiled helplessly.

"Oops, looks like I don't have much time left."

He held John's hands tightly with his trembling hands.

"Hold it firmly with both hands, pull it close to your body, and never close your eyes when you pull the trigger."

John followed his instructions and took the stance. The police officer limped backward.

"Alright, let's practice."

The target for practice was clear. Gyeongbok felt control over his upper body return.

'It's a shooting tutorial.'

He wasn't the only one who thought so.

- Combining story and tutorial?

- Other routes are just random?

- Is this the real route...!

- Sensei, I'm so grateful!

- Grateful... overwhelmingly grateful...

Gyeongbok aimed the gun at the police officer. As he pulled the trigger, the scene instantly changed to a cutscene.

Instead of showing the police officer falling, the shadow on the corridor wall and the flash of light were used to depict the fall.

After the cutscene ended, Gyeongbok regained control.

"Too bad. I thought I could save you."

- lol

- Evil developers.

- But is this the real hidden route?

- Yeah, it took me 10 tries to get this far, but I couldn't save the cop.

- The card key was also broken.

The viewers deduced that the conditions for unlocking the hidden route were not just about not running away but also about the survival of the police officer.

Indeed, many streamers had tried to help the police officer, and some had succeeded after multiple attempts. However, no one had succeeded before the police officer was attacked.

"Well, I guess I should go to the basement."

Basement, storage room.

With the card key in hand, he needed to go to the usage location. Just as Gyeongbok decided to take a step forward,

- Wait!

- Do it, open it!

- Money... I'll give you...

- Room owner^^ Open the door^^

- lol, let's change the room rules!

- Let's draw some attention!

The viewers' requests quickly appeared.

'Hmm... I can't really ignore this.'

The chats felt more like friendly encouragement rather than mischief.

Gyeongbok nodded and quickly changed the settings.

"Yes, I've opened the donation feature."

['1stPlaceCan'tStand' donated '5,000' won.]

[Ah lol, newbies can't stand it]

['FirstDonator' donated '1,000' won.]

[Am I first? Mom, I'm first!]

The donation messages appeared as soon as the feature was opened.

"Thank you for the donations."

Gyeongbok expressed his gratitude for the first donations he received. However, the chat window didn't show much reaction to his thanks.

- What? Who am I?

- lol lol lol NTR lol

- The golden sun of the Do-ne world...!

- The amount and speed are your 'defeat.'

- This is a perfect taxidermy.

- Cute!

- But, is the room owner a YouTuber??

The viewers were busy teasing each other. Gyeongbok chuckled and finished the remaining settings.

"I've changed the room rules."

This statement drew the attention of the chat window again. 'lol' messages started appearing one after another.

[On my first day, I discovered the world's first hidden route?]

This was due to the room title he set.

- Unbelievable title lol lol lol

- Is this a newbie's attention-grabbing...?

- No one would believe this lol

- It's obviously a lie lol

- I can't believe it even after seeing it lol

- The attention-grabbing is working perfectly?

The chat window reactions made Gyeongbok feign a sense of injustice.

"No, I only wrote the truth."

- But!

- It really happened.

- Now that I think about it, it's true. I can't argue with that.

Gyeongbok chuckled and picked up the gun.

"I'll continue."

* * *

Meanwhile, Choi Byunghoon was having a very busy time.

'The angle is set!'

While monitoring Gyeongbok's broadcast, he saved clips in real-time.

From Gyeongbok saving the police officer to the hidden route cutscene. Although it was a short play, he cut out the core parts.

'As expected, this guy is a genius!'

He never expected that on the first day, and from the very beginning, he would produce such high-quality content.

Choi Byunghoon felt the editor's intuition.

'The momentum is set. Now comes the important part.'

There's a saying, "Row when the water is high," but a true pro doesn't wait for the water to rise.

Since Gyeongbok had set the momentum, it was up to Choi Byunghoon to bring in the water.

'First, I'll post it on Tonight.'

On the streaming platform 'Try's community, 'Tonight,' a site frequently used by both streamers and viewers.

This site has a 'Hot Clips' section that ranks popular videos.

'Next, I'll focus on the Bark community.'

Choi Byunghoon quickly finished the uploads. The video length was short, so it didn't take much time.

Even though it was a simple task, he couldn't calm his racing heart.

'Good, the momentum is very good.'

Although the popularity of Bio Crisis had waned, it was only because there were no new elements.

The appearance of an unrevealed hidden route would be like pouring oil on a dying flame.

"Wow..."

Choi Byunghoon's eyes widened.

When comments were posted on his post, he received notifications. The notifications, which had been intermittent, started to come in faster.

He checked 'Tonight' first.

- What is this?

- OMG lol lol lol

- How did the police officer survive?

- Who is this streamer?

- On the first day?

- It's a fake, I guess.

The comments started pouring in real-time. Some questioned Gyeongbok's identity, while others were skeptical.

However, most reactions were similar to Choi Byunghoon's and the viewers who had watched the live stream.

- OMG lol lol

- Is this his first stream?

- He's still streaming!

- What's the room title lol lol lol

- I'm going right now!

The view count started to rise sharply. As a result, the clip's ranking began to soar.

The video, which had been on the last page, started racing towards the first page.

"Angle set! It's the angle!"

Choi Byunghoon clapped alone, feeling a shiver. Gyeongbok had said he wouldn't set an angle, but reality was different.

"Yeah, damn it. The world doesn't leave geniuses alone."

His cheeks were flushed.

But Choi Byunghoon didn't forget his duty.

'Now comes the real part...'

To navigate the waterway, the boat must be sturdy.

* * *

Gyeongbok woke up in a hospital room on the 4th floor. He found the emergency stairs and headed down.

The 3rd and 2nd floors were blocked by barricades, seemingly to restrict movement.

"Ah, the way to the basement is blocked."

When he reached the 1st floor and tried to go down to the basement, the lower level was also blocked by barricades.

It seemed he had to go through the 1st floor to reach the basement.

- Ah lol

- It's getting interesting!

- Spoiler alert

- No hints

- Just lol

The viewers seemed to be holding back, expecting something. Gyeongbok found it suspicious but didn't press the issue.

Just as he was about to explore the 1st floor again,

- Is he really going the hidden route?

- How did he save the police officer?

- Hey!

- lol lol lol, so many people

- Why are there so many Bark streamers!

The number of viewers suddenly increased, and the chat messages started flooding in.

"Uh, hello."

Confused, Gyeongbok stopped to observe the situation. The chat window was so active that it was hard to read properly.

- Ah, go to King's show!

- Just watch for 5 minutes!

- I came after watching the clip!

- Do you practice martial arts in real life?

- What's with the voice...

Gyeongbok's eyes widened.

It was still a weekday and early afternoon, but the current number of viewers was 107.

While not a large number in absolute terms, it was nearly ten times the previous count.

'...Let's just play the game.'

He had planned to communicate as much as possible since it was his first stream, but responding to everyone individually was impossible.

So, Gyeongbok decided to focus on the most important task.

"Hello everyone. Please don't fight, and let's continue the game."

This was exactly what the viewers wanted, to see the game play.

Right at that moment.

['Agent Q' donated '10,000' won]

[Hello. Do you accept quests?]

Ignoring the chat was one thing, but ignoring donations was another.

However, the chat window's atmosphere suddenly changed with the donation.

- lol lol lol

- Agent Q, welcome!

- lol lol lol, Agent Q must watch all Bark streams

- lol, he must have smelled the newbie and rushed over

- Is he going to verify it now lol lol

Gyeongbok glanced at the noticeable chat and expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you, Agent Q. Well, I've never done it before, but I'll accept it if you give it."

Quest.

A system where viewers propose specific conditions with a donation, and the streamer accepts the donation by fulfilling those conditions.

'Agent Q,' or 'Agent Q' for short, was a well-known viewer.

['Agent Q' has proposed a quest!]

[Condition - Reach the basement without any damage]

[Reward - 1,000,000 won]

Gyeongbok's eyes widened.

A quest with a million won reward.

- This is a rite of passage for newbies...

- Get the popcorn!

- Wow lol lol, what's he going to do?

- King. Total. Asset.

- Is he the devil?

Some criticized Agent Q, while others were excited about the spectacle.

Gyeongbok couldn't understand.

"Isn't this easy...?"

He accepted the quest lightly, and the chat window disappeared instantly. He thought it might be a bug.

[The 'No Coaching' feature is activated during the quest.]

[You can see the chat window again after the quest is completed.]

The 'No Coaching' feature, which blocks all viewer assistance, was activated.

'...Is it harder than I thought?'

Just going to the basement, right? But with such a large reward, he decided not to relax.

"Uh, the chat window is hidden due to the 'No Coaching' feature. Please understand, and let's proceed."

With this declaration, Gyeongbok entered the 1st floor, the hospital lobby. The gruesome corpses and bloodstains on the walls and floor caught his eye.

Looking back, the entrance was blocked by a stack of benches.

'Total of 17 bullets.'

He gripped the gun and heightened his senses. With the emergency stairs blocked, there was only one way to go to the basement.

"I guess I have to take the elevator."

He whispered, aware of the viewers. The elevator door in the lobby was twisted and open.

He decided on the direction and took a few steps forward when,

"Grgh!"

Zombies, which he thought were just corpses, rose from all sides and attacked him.

- I'm not watching this.

- Oh no.

- Newbie, you didn't know this?

- Taste the zombie flavor!

- It's red!

- Let's see the hidden route!

Gyeongbok couldn't see, but the viewers kept chatting. They all expected him to fail the quest.

However, the chat window soon froze.

"Ah."

Gyeongbok didn't look surprised; instead, he seemed more relaxed. He pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Four gunshots, and four zombies fell. He had already sensed their presence through his senses.

- ?

- What?

- What is this?

- What flashed?

- One-shot, one-kill?

The viewers were confused. But there was something even more surprising.

"This is the shooting tutorial, right? Ah, I can't see the responses."

Gyeongbok's calm statement caused the chat window to explode.

- This is... 'real.'

- John of the Wick family is right here!

- Is... is he John?

- Do you have a dog?

- It's a legend...

- Can't you smell the burning? Agent Q's pants are on fire lol

The chat window was in chaos, but Gyeongbok calmly continued the game. As he headed back towards the elevator,

'...What is it?'

His heightened senses, which had momentarily subsided, flared up again. The direction was behind him, towards the hospital entrance.

As he turned his head, the glass shattered with a loud crash. A dark shape rushed in.

- Wow!

- Zombies in Bark!

- Ah lol, he can't shoot this.

- Damn dogs!

- This is over.

- He wouldn't shoot a dog, would he? lol

Two hunting dogs, now zombies, rushed in with fierce barks and erratic movements.

They moved left and right, even jumping off pillars for a two-stage leap.

But Gyeongbok didn't panic. With a calm expression, he calmly turned his eyes and pulled the trigger.

Two gunshots and a popping sound followed in quick succession. The charging zombie dogs, unable to withstand the momentum, tumbled to the ground and stopped in front of Gyeongbok.

"Ugh... I like dogs."

Gyeongbok's casual remark shattered the frozen chat window.

- !?!?!?!

- Another one-shot, one-kill?

- What...?

- It was possible because he had the 'two shots' that bald people don't have.

- Is he really 'that' John??

Meanwhile, some viewers realized something.

- There was no HUD at all?

- He shot with his naked eye?

- Wow, it's true.

- I was so surprised I didn't even notice that.

- Superhuman physical abilities...

HUD, or Head-Up Display, is a feature that shows remaining ammunition and aiming points visually.

Not all gamers are skilled, so developers usually provide convenience features.

Among these, HUD is an interface that visually displays remaining ammunition and aiming points.

However, Gyeongbok had turned off this feature from the start. He had set the 'immersion' option to the highest level in the capsule settings.

Without convenience features, the game naturally becomes more difficult.

- Is he completing Agent Q's quest on the highest difficulty?

- I'll follow you.

- Wow, he's a legend, really.

- Plus, this is a place where you can't take damage.

- lol

- Even the best players lose 10% health here.

This was why Agent Q had confidently offered a large sum.

Typically, gamers would avoid the zombie dogs and retreat to the elevator, taking fall damage. Even skilled streamers would take damage while dealing with the zombie dogs.

But Gyeongbok was different.

"Any more? If not, I'm going down."

Gyeongbok casually checked his surroundings and looked down the elevator.

Unfortunately for Agent Q, Gyeongbok didn't jump but held the elevator cable and slowly descended.

[Quest completed!]

['Agent Q' donated '1,000,000' won!]

With the notification, the chat window reactivated.

- Breaking news: Agent Q chased by debt collectors.

- King's assets collapse! Doom!

- As long as it's not me, I'm fine!

The chat window was still in overdrive, so Gyeongbok just laughed.

"Ah, thank you, Agent Q. You seem to be someone who helps newbies like me. I'll take on a harder