Chapter 8 - Streamer Purple's Debut (1)

As soon as Lee Kyung-bok ended his broadcast, Choi Byung-hoon immediately headed to his house.

"Damn! Didn't I tell you? Huh? I said it would be a hit, didn't I?"

He couldn't hide his excitement as soon as he saw Lee Kyung-bok. Lee Kyung-bok smiled and replied.

"I felt it too. This is going to be big."

"Yeah, man! Hey, take a look at this."

Choi Byung-hoon quickly sat in front of Lee Kyung-bok's computer. What he showed was the 'Tonight' hot clips section.

"See? Huh? See? Not only did it make the first page, but it's in the top five!"

"What's this? An adult site?"

"No, the 19+ rating is because the game is for adults!"

In fact, Lee Kyung-bok had a reason to be confused.

The hot clips section mostly featured clips from 'female streamers' with a lot of exposure. Among them, there was a blurred clip of Lee Kyung-bok's video due to the 19+ rating.

Only after hearing Choi Byung-hoon's explanation could Lee Kyung-bok genuinely feel happy.

"Wow... all three made it?"

"Of course. I only uploaded the best parts."

Choi Byung-hoon said, puffing out his chest.

He monitored in real-time and uploaded scenes that seemed promising right away.

The police rescue, the hidden route exploration, the first quest from the Q-agent, and the clean handling of the cluster.

"I thought about uploading the final Sandra cutscene, but it was too short, so I skipped it. Also, uploading too many might cause backlash."

"Well, I trust you to handle it well."

Lee Kyung-bok believed in his friend.

Choi Byung-hoon seemed even more pleased and immediately opened another page.

It was a post on the Bark community.

[Bark New Route Unveiled!]

[Not trolling, it's real. Saved the police early on. Check the clips!]

[-How did you save the police?]

[-Trolls have no sincerity these days.]

[-Ad bot, OUT!]

The initial comments were aggressive, but the ones below were completely different.

[-What the...?]

[-Haha, amazing!]

[-The boom is coming...]

[-First time seeing this streamer?]

[-No, the name is a default account?]

People who checked the clips quickly left comments. The views skyrocketed, and the post instantly became a top post, fixed in the community.

"Ah, so that's why the viewers suddenly increased."

Lee Kyung-bok finally realized.

Behind the sudden influx of viewers was Choi Byung-hoon's effort.

"Hey, you thought I was just playing around, didn't you?"

"Did I give you that chance?"

"Of course not."

Lee Kyung-bok's joke made Choi Byung-hoon laugh and close his mouth. Of course, that was also a joke.

"Hey, but that's not the main point. Do you know what the real big deal is?"

There was still something left to show.

The real reason Choi Byung-hoon called it a hit.

"What is it?"

As Lee Kyung-bok's eyes widened, Choi Byung-hoon immediately showed another page.

It was a short-form social media platform, 'Twitti.'

[CAP COMPANY_official]

[@capcompany_official]

[We can finally show the story we prepared. Thank you, LKB2202.]

[#Biocrisis #Korea #World1st #ThankstoLKB2202 #Trueend]

[2.6k retweets / 1.9k likes]

It was the official account of Cap Company, the developer of Bio Crisis. They mentioned Lee Kyung-bok's account on social media as the hidden route opened.

"Wow... is this real?"

As a gamer, Lee Kyung-bok couldn't help but feel elated that the developer mentioned him directly.

"Real! It's a real deal, a real deal!"

Choi Byung-hoon burst into laughter, clearly pleased with Lee Kyung-bok's reaction. However, Lee Kyung-bok soon wiped the smile off his face, showing a hint of regret.

"Ah... I should have prepared better. LKB2202, huh."

The hot clips and this tweet were all under the name LKB2202, Lee Kyung-bok's trial account name.

"Hey, it's fine. People who see this will probably follow you anyway. You can change your name right away."

"Yeah, that's what I planned."

"Right. I think the next broadcast will have even more viewers. At least a thousand, I bet."

"Really?"

"Of course. Anyway, I prepared something."

Choi Byung-hoon casually waved his hand and connected a smart link to the computer. After a few operations, a presentation appeared on the monitor.

"I summarized your play and picked some candidates."

"Oh... wow."

What Choi Byung-hoon prepared was a list of streamer names and selection reasons. He had thought about names that wouldn't overlap with other streamers but would highlight Lee Kyung-bok's characteristics.

"Take a look and if you don't like any, we can brainstorm together."

"No, I have one in mind right away."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Let's go with this."

Lee Kyung-bok smiled and replied.

* * *

The next day.

The Bio Crisis community, as well as game-related communities, were heated up with a new issue.

[Summary of the Streamer Who Caused a Stir Recently]

[It's hard to summarize in three lines, so I'll break it down by points.

1. Rescued the police, whom all Bark streamers had given up on, and obtained the card key.

2. Obtained police equipment from the storage room.

3. Completed the Q-agent quest and got 2.5 million won. Forced to change his name to 'Long Q' lol (reached the underground without damage, cleared the cluster close combat)

4. Completed the quest without the HUD lol

5. Sandra's personality changed, and the reward disappeared.

6. Officially certified by Bark.

7. By the way, this is his first broadcast.

Damn, even I can't believe it when I summarize it.]

Given the attention, the comments were substantial.

[-Is this the story of Earth 25?]

[-No lol, it's a parallel universe lol]

[-The reward is insane lol]

[-I feel sorry for you who don't know the true taste of betrayal...]

[-If you don't want to be cursed by Sandra, why play Bark?]

[-Isn't that the reason Sandra is the best?]

[-The 'Long Q' move was amazing lol]

[-The donation amount change was hilarious lol]

[-Got trolled, didn't he?]

[-Why are so many details missing? Where's the one-shot kill?]

[-Lol, this way, you can't charge for towing.]

[-But if I write in detail, most won't read it lol]

[-Just summarize it in three letters: 'Legend']

Of course, not all comments were positive. Some were angry.

[-Who is this guy, causing a stir since yesterday? The viral effect is insane.]

[-Let's check the broadcast first.]

[-Troll alert.]

[-Why not watch the clips?]

[-Don't know about the Bark hype?]

[-Report and block the troll.]

[-So many naive people. It's clearly an AI run because they couldn't break it.]

[-I'll delete my comment and leave.]

[-Damn, AI trolling lol]

[-Why use a Korean account?]

[-No reason to feed the hate lol]

[-Brain dead certification lol]

However, such comments were either thoroughly debunked by the evidence or ended with the commenter deleting their comment and fleeing.

The next most popular post was:

[When is LKB2202 broadcasting?]

[There's nothing on the trial channel. No YouTube channel either. Damn, is he a real streamer?]

The schedule for Lee Kyung-bok's next broadcast.

[-Don't post such things!]

[-Aren't you feeling the pressure with the Bark hype?]

[-You killed it...]

[-Anyone would be nervous with this much attention on their first broadcast.]

[-Just follow and wait.]

[-That's the taste.]

[-lol, you left it to him.]

[-People who write such posts never donate.]

[-Fact: True.]

Some were worried that Lee Kyung-bok might feel pressured and not broadcast.

Viewers who watched the first broadcast and those waiting for the new one were very sensitive.

As the anticipation turned into anxiety, a message came through.

[Big one coming!]

[The broadcast is on! Opening the portal!]

The news of Lee Kyung-bok's broadcast spread through the community.

[-I trusted you!]

[-Go, go, go!]

[-Ah lol, can't hold it.]

[-Check out the donations I prepared!]

With that, the viewers started to move.

* * *

"Hello."

Lee Kyung-bok greeted as soon as he started the broadcast. It felt awkward, but thanks to Choi Byung-hoon, he knew this was the way to greet.

-Hello!

-Hi there!

-Newbie smell

-Awkwardness is cute lol

-Thank you! Really, thank you!

-I'm not a crybaby, but I'm tearing up.

-Don't run! Fight!

-Hey! This is a newbie channel, so no code talk!

-You're not a newbie anymore, right? I'll make sure of that!

The chat window quickly filled up.

The number of viewers easily surpassed 200 right from the start.

Moreover, they had been eagerly waiting for his broadcast, so the chat window was flooded with messages.

"Hello everyone. Wow, the chat is so fast, I can't reply to everyone. Please understand."

Lee Kyung-bok decided to read only the noticeable messages rather than trying to read everything.

-Understand? It's all our fault!

-Chat! Stop!

-Already, lol, there are already fans.

-Why is the donation closed? Why is the donation closed? Why is the donation closed? Why is the donation closed?

-Mod! Open the door! Mod, open the door!

-Open your wallet! Donations are coming!

But even with those messages, the chat window's heat didn't die down. Opening donations in such a situation would only add to the chaos.

It's hard to ignore people who pay, right?

"I'll open donations later. First, thank you for coming. I didn't have a name until yesterday, right?"

Lee Kyung-bok smiled and said.

The chat window was flooded with 'lol.'

-Forbes' top nameless streamer.

-Wasn't it OneShot?

-There's already a streamer named OneShot.

-OneShot, mysterious rise.

Lee Kyung-bok decided not to react to the chat. If a streamer gets pulled into the chat, the broadcast becomes a mess.

"I'm not thinking about subscriptions or a YouTube channel for now. But I'll continue streaming and create them gradually."

-Big one coming! Big one coming! Big one coming! Big one coming!

-Clips are coming lol, can't run now.

-If you quit, we'll charge you with a crime!

-Strip and scream!

-lol, no one can stop it.

Meanwhile, Lee Kyung-bok changed the channel and settings. The name 'LKB2202' was no longer there.

"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm the streamer Purple, PerfectPlay!"

PerfectPlay, meaning to strive for perfection.

That was the name Lee Kyung-bok chose.

-What's up lol

-It fits perfectly lol

-Purple!

-Who is this newbie I knew...?

-Handling the Q-agent quest is fitting lol

The viewers' reaction was explosive. If another streamer had chosen such a name, they would have been mocked.

But Lee Kyung-bok had already shown his skills once.

"Let's get straight to it!"

Lee Kyung-bok immediately launched Bio Crisis. The view changed, and the choice appeared again.

[Do you want to join 'Sandra'?]

[1. Yes - "No, I have nowhere else to go. Let's go together."]

[2. No - 'It's foolish to follow a stranger in this situation.']

Naturally, Lee Kyung-bok chose 1. John then recited the line.

"Thank goodness. In this situation, every person is precious. Follow me."

Sandra smiled brightly. Her beauty shone even more when she smiled.

-Sandra is smiling?

-Precious? The protagonist?

-Wow, this is a real hidden route...

-Sandra's eyes! I'm dying!

-This isn't Sandra!

-The disdainful look is the best...

-You can feel that just by stepping outside your room.

-Stop! The hate is too scary... We'll all die...

As Choi Byung-hoon said, the number of viewers had already surpassed 1,000. While the chat window was buzzing, the cutscene changed.

John and Sandra walked down the road. There were many damaged vehicles from the accident, and none of the surrounding buildings looked intact.

"Wait."

Sandra, who was leading, lowered her voice and clenched her fist. John immediately crouched and hid behind a car with her.

"Zombies. One at 1 o'clock, two at 11 and 10 o'clock."

"Then..."

"No."

As John reached for his gun, Sandra grabbed his hand.

-Grabbed the hand?

-Back in my day, it was a slap.

-What?;; Discrimination?;;

-Why didn't she say 'Are you crazy?'? Why didn't she say 'Are you crazy?'?

-Why is Sandra suddenly so innocent?

-I feel like going out for lunch! I feel like going out for lunch!

The chat window was flooded with various reactions, but there was no time to read them all.

Sandra pulled out a knife and continued.

"The gunshots might attract other zombies. And... no, I'll tell you later. Anyway, we need to handle the zombies quietly to avoid leading them to the camp."

"Quietly."

"Yes, I'll handle two. You take one. Move first, and I'll follow."

The cutscene ended with those lines. Regaining control, Lee Kyung-bok grabbed the baton and smiled.

"I can handle it alone."

"What?"

Sandra's eyes widened at Lee Kyung-bok's words. But he didn't wait for a response.

He leaped over the car and ran toward the zombies.

"Grunt."

The zombie turned at the sound of footsteps. But the baton was already in front of it.

With a thud, the skull shattered, and blood splattered.

"John...!"

Sandra's voice followed, but Lee Kyung-bok didn't wait. He immediately ran toward the other two zombies.

"This is easy."

He lightly kicked the ground and twisted his waist.

He hit one with the baton and kicked the other with his boot, a move that looked like something from a martial arts movie.

With a dull thud, the zombies fell.

-Huh?

-WTF

-Wow lol, what a physical feat lol

-The name fits lol

-Wow... he handled them all.

Sandra, who arrived late, was stunned and looked at him. Their eyes met.

-What will Sandra say?

-Damn, this doesn't feel like a scolding.

-???: You might as well kill yourself. Ah, maybe you don't have the courage?

-lol, that's what she says if you can't handle one.

-Info: In English, it's 'Kill Yourself, moron.'

Depending on his performance, Sandra's lines changed. After everyone waited, Sandra finally spoke.

"It's been a while since I've met someone I can rely on."

She even smiled shyly.

-Oh, Sandra! Oh, Sandra!

-Oh, Sandra, get out of her body!

-Wow... it's melting my ears.

-Mom, why am I not Purple? Mom, why am I not Purple?

-Wow lol, I thought it would be 'Where are you going to die?' lol

The chat window overheated again at Sandra's unexpected reaction.

"It's nothing."

Lee Kyung-bok's response left the chat window in a state of shock.

-Fact: It's nothing.

-lol, if you're annoyed...

-lol, try being like Purple.

-???: Does Sandra swear? I've never heard her.

-Damn, there's a compilation of her swearing on YouTube.

-Yeah, I listen to it often lol

-Why do you listen to it, damn lol

While the chat window overheated, the scene changed again.

The scene transitioned to John and Sandra standing in front of a large building.

"There it is."

"It's a hotel."

The place where Sandra and the survivors stayed was a hotel.

"Yes, we have some food stored, and there are beds and showers."

"But we lack medicine."

"Yes, that's why I came out."

As they walked and talked, a faint, dull sound came from somewhere.

Sandra's expression changed. John instinctively hid.

She put her finger to her lips. John nodded slightly.

Then they heard:

"Did you really spot survivors here?"

"Damn, all I see are those disgusting corpses."

"We need to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible."

"Tsk, let's go back and