Chapter 12: Opening of the Youtube Channel

The preview clip for Chapter 3 ended. The chat window was bubbling with excitement.

-WA! Unrevealed area!

-Ah ah, is this a hidden route?

-This is truly ‘perfect’.

-SHUBHAM ah ah, no wonder nobody achieved 100% completion before.

-Have you lost your mind? How can anyone overcome such insane difficulty?

-???: I completed it though?

The revelation of a new region meant an expansion of the game’s content. Strictly speaking, rather than an expansion, it should be considered as discovery since it already existed.

-Wow… But isn’t it blocked by soldiers?

-Weren’t they just fighting against the pharmaceutical company in the previous route?

-The scale suddenly became much larger?

-Lol, it suddenly became a national issue after fighting with the pharmacy.

-Haha, how did they manage to shut their mouths?

Viewers had a hunch that there was an untold story behind this bio-crisis. Naturally, their expectations soared.

-Ah haha, it’s possible to play for 1,000 hours straight now.

-I bet 900 of those hours will be spent uncovering hidden routes

-Regular folks like us have to wait for mods

-Purple mode should fix everything

-Do you mean One Shot One Kill mode or Sandra’s romance mode?

-Obviously both! LOL!

In front of the hopeful viewers, Lee Kyungbok spoke:

“I’m not sure since it’s my first time, but judging by the chat atmosphere, it must be great news.”

-Like others, I’ve never felt this amazed by the number ‘1’ before.

-The world’s first is astonishing enough, but it’s just his first attempt?

-“Bark” for the first time? Seriously?

-LMAO, King of Trolls

-Life imitates art, indeed LMAO

-Wow, is he ending the broadcast now?!

The mood shifted abruptly after someone mentioned the end of the stream.

-Damn! How dare you use such a disgraceful word!

-Broadcast…what? Spit it out again, bitch.

-Sue him for defamation!

-Unbelievable!

-He’s got immunity on max level LOL

Naturally, no one wanted the broadcast to end just yet. After all, things were finally getting interesting. It would be unthinkable to stop at this point.

“Yes, you have good intuition. Today’s broadcast will end here.”

Then Lee Kyungbok did something unprecedented:

-Hyung? Hyung? No way? Hyung? Whyyyyyy?

-Laughing while spitting is your trademark?

-Ah haha, I was too serious again?

-Jokes are seriously making me laugh haha fooled me haha

-I’ll hold my breath until you start streaming again!

-Is there any streamer who interrupts their first broadcast?

-If it ends, I’ll sue for some crime or another.

The viewers quickly tried to persuade and coax Lee Kyungbok, even jokingly threatening him.

“I am very grateful that you watched today’s broadcast. I will return in the next broadcast.”

However, Lee Kyungbok was too robust to be swayed by such messages.

-Stop! Please stop! We will all be doomed at this rate!

-Hihi, nope! Hihi, nope! Hihi, nope!

-Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!

-STAY! STAY! STAY! STAY!

-Graaaaah! What kind of inhumane stream is this?

The viewers tried to persuade him by any means, but Lee Kyungbok smiled brightly and said:

“Cut!”

The screen abruptly went blank. Lee Kyungbok opened the capsule and stepped out.

‘Indeed, these high-end models are impressive.’

Feeling refreshed just as before entering, Lee Kyungbok couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly, he heard a vibrating hum—the signal of a smart link notification.

“Yeah.”

<Hey, I’m coming over to your place.>

It was his friend and editor, Choi Byunghoon.

“We need to create a Youtube channel.” Choi Byunghoon got straight to the point as soon as he entered the apartment. His hair was messy from rushing over.

“Youtube?” Lee Kyungbok repeated, prompting Choi Byunghoon to explain why they needed a channel. Kyungbok listened attentively to his friend’s proposal.

“You’re right. Based on today’s broadcast, being the first definitely has its advantages.”

“Yes! Exactly! Hey, I’ve prepared something for you. Take a look at this.”

Choi Byunghoon showed him various graphics he had created while monitoring the stream.

Lee Kyungbok reviewed the samples and picked out his favorite layout.

“Wow, when did you manage to make all these?”

“Do you finally think of me as a pro now?”

“A bit cocky, aren’t we?”

“Damn right! I’m quite the editor, aren’t I?”

Lee Kyungbok chuckled at Choi Byunghoon’s smug expression. Choi Byunghoon then sighed with relief and continued.

“Anyway, thank you for this. I was wondering what to do if you refused.”

“No problem, man. We’re all in this together.”

“Well, glad that’s settled. Oh, this might sound abrupt, but have you thought about your next game yet?”

“Next game?” Lee Kyungbok’s eyes widened. They were only on day two of playing Bio Crisis, so talk of the next game caught him off guard.

“It’s related to our Youtube channel, actually.”

“How so?”

“You watch Youtube too, right? Have you heard about their algorithm?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of it.”

This indicated that YouTube’s algorithm was recommending videos to viewers based on their viewing history.

“Yeah, it’s crucial. The better-defined your channel concept is, the more effective the algorithm becomes.”

“Ah…I think I’ve heard of this before.” Lee Kyungbok nodded thoughtfully.

Despite not being particularly interested in gaming content, he had often stumbled upon recommended videos due to the algorithm.

“That’s right. There are various gaming concepts to choose from. Some focus solely on one game, while others specialize in a specific genre, especially horror. There are even those who exclusively stream online games and avoid packaged titles.”

“Hmm…” Lee Kyungbok pondered aloud.

What Choi Byunghoon was concerned about was establishing Lee Kyungbok’s channel identity. How would he present Lee Kyungbok to the world?

Lee Kyungbok pondered for a moment before speaking up.

”…I realized something while streaming.”

“Mm?”

Choi Byunghoon sensed it was now his turn to listen attentively.

“Initially, I thought all that mattered was being good at games. It felt similar to preparing to become a pro gamer back when I was in high school.” That was Lee Kyungbok’s initial belief. In his mind, excelling at games was paramount. However, his personal experience with streaming proved otherwise.

“But it turned out differently. Actually, the content of the game isn’t crucial. What matters most is how much enjoyment the viewers derive from watching.”

“Indeed.”

“In fact, it doesn’t matter if you’re not good at games as long as people find it entertaining. Well, I’m not sure about this since I’ve never been bad at any game.”

“Woah. That’s quite a rude statement.”

“It’s just stating facts, dude. Anyway, what matters is that people enjoy my content, and that makes me happy too. It feels incredibly loved, right?”

“That’s the beauty of broadcasting.”

“Yes, exactly. And seeing the number of viewers steadily increasing…it fuels my ambition even more.”

“It would be strange if it didn’t. After all, ambition drives many streamers.”

“Yeah, so here’s the thing.” Lee Kyungbok calmly shared his decision. “I don’t think there’s a need to strictly rely on algorithms anymore.”

“Hmm…”

“I want to play whatever game I desire. Viewers will know if I force myself just for the sake of maintaining a concept.”

“You’re right.”

“Yes. Even though you, as my editor, might not agree with this decision, it feels right to me. This is something I can’t compromise on,” Lee Kyungbok firmly stated.

If he wasn’t enjoying himself, there would be no fun in broadcasting, and without enjoyment, viewers wouldn’t find it engaging either. Despite streaming for only two days, Lee Kyungbok had already grasped this fundamental principle of streaming.

“Oh…Kyungbok.” Choi Byunghoon shook his head while holding his forehead.

“Damn, you’re quite ambitious, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Do you know what they call someone like you? A ‘multi-genre gamer,’ a streamer who can tackle any type of game.” Choi Byunghoon’s face broke into a wide grin. “You have limitless potential! Like a stem cell, adaptable to any field!”

“…That’s kind of a strange analogy, isn’t it?”

“In any case! It feels like you’re destined for greatness, kid! Ha, there’s truly something to be said about geniuses.” Choi Byunghoon half-joked but also meant every word. Most streamers he had worked with crumbled once they stopped finding joy in their broadcasts.

Many streamers shine briefly, but few sustain success.

However, Lee Kyungbok already possessed the right mindset. He was mentally tough from the start, so even if someone tried to break him down, it wouldn’t be easy.

“So since we played single-player games this time, let’s try playing multiplayer or co-op games next.”

“Oh yeah, those would be great. They’re perfect for streaming content.” Choi Byunghoon’s eyes sparkled excitedly.

Whether he knows it or not…

With Lee Kyungbok’s physical appearance and skills, standing out among other gamers was inevitable. And if lucky, he could even make appearances on other streamers’ broadcasts. With his level of performance, there was a high chance he would attract viewers from those streams as well. Overall, this approach had numerous advantages.

Is this fate somehow?

Choi Byunghoon didn’t voice that thought aloud. Instead, he clapped lightly and changed the subject.

“Okay. Let’s think about the next game later. For now, I want to discuss the chat window.”

“The chat?”

“Yes, you know, sometimes strange people also get tangled up with others. Hmm? There’s actually a saying for that: ‘In any group of five, one is bound to be trash.’”

”…Is that really a saying?”

“These memes… No, it doesn’t matter. It’s better to learn naturally rather than forcing yourself. Anyway, didn’t you feel it this time? The long message appeared.”

“Ah, true. Those people were quite strange.” Lee Kyungbok nodded.

After the voting results for the subway and highway came out, there was suddenly a serious chat message. Although it was buried by other viewers’ comments, the chat content was far from ‘joyful’.

“Your broadcast is growing faster than imagined right now. Won’t such individuals become more prevalent? Of course, with your mentality, you’ll be fine even if things get turbulent. But what matters are the other viewers.”

“Do you have any solutions?”

“For now, using a chat management bot would be best. It can filter and delete excessive profanity or potential spoilers.”

“Oh, really? That’s fine then.”

“No, but there is a limit to how effective this program can be. Ideally, you should have both a bot and a manager…”

“A manager? Hmm… Isn’t it too early for that?”

Choi Byunghoon agreed with Kyungbok’s sentiment. Despite his rapid growth, he had only been streaming for two days. Of course, they could hire someone immediately, but rushing things might end up causing more harm than good if they picked the wrong person. They needed someone trustworthy whom they could delegate tasks to.

“For now, just keep in mind that we need one eventually. I’ll handle everything outside of the game.”

“Ah, so I don’t have to do anything else?”

“You just focus on your stream.”

“Ha, gotcha. A manager, huh… Wow, this feels like it’s getting real.”

“Yes, okay. Then let’s review the footage now.”

“Okay.”

Late at night, office workers finished their dinners and enjoyed some brief leisure time after work. On internet forums, posts about Purple’s broadcast topped the trending lists.

[SPOILER!] Bark Discovered in Restricted Area (999+)

[Sandra’s Third Transformation Real? (887)]

[Is It Possible to Get Golden Shotgun from 1st Chest Draw? (817)]

[Logan Schock Gets Proper Education LOL (589)]

(SPOILER WARNING) Highlights of Chapter 2 Boss Fight (471)

These articles were posted right after the stream ended and quickly garnered enough upvotes during rush hour to reach the top.

[Who exactly is this Purple person?]

[I’ve read all the top-rated posts. Is he even human?

Where did this guy suddenly come from?]

[-Human? This person hasn’t fully recovered yet.]

[-LOL, LOL, they called Purple human after watching Godly Play!]

[-Blasphemy!]

[-Hallelujah! Hallelujah!]

[-GodlyPlay has given us new lands!]

[-Lightplay! Lightplay! Lightplay! Lightplay!]

In particular, users from the Bio Crisis community, which had been losing popularity, started idolizing Purple. They thought they had squeezed every drop of enjoyment out of the game, but it turned out they were just scratching the surface.

However, not all posts were positive.

[I’m sickened by those criticizing Purple’s stream without knowing what they’re talking about.]

[I’m writing this because I feel annoyed after reading the best comments. These Bark bugs swarm together and act so superior, but they’re no help at all. Is it wrong to ask questions when we don’t understand the context while watching clips?]

[Those bastards were spewing nonsense like ‘Watching King’s View is awesome?’, ‘Welcome to Ping Pong!’, and ‘Haven’t watched the live broadcast yet? You’ve missed half of life?’ Who hasn’t seen it, you idiots? I asked at what second they started watching, but these swarming barklice just kept yapping. Do you think I only watch streams like some jobless scum? Even without seeing this Purple bastard, I can tell what kind of jerk he is. I’m leaving due to all this filth, you Bark bugs.]

[-Kya… Famous words.]

[-Honestly, there are some who deserve being called Barkbugs.]

[-They really got banned ಠ_ಠ]

[-I don’t want any misunderstandings; Purple isn’t that type of streamer.]

[-Anyway, true trolls show their colors anywhere.]

Some viewers who had watched the live broadcast exhibited an odd sense of superiority within the community.

There was a risk that the backlash against those streamers could affect Purple as well. Amidst this heated discussion…

[Purple’s Youtube channel is up!]

[A banner appeared on Tribe’s channel I’m subscribing right away.]

The news of Purple opening her own Youtube channel spread quickly.

[-Why though?]

[-Ah Now we can get our fill of Purple.]

[-It’s only been two days since he started streaming]

[-Watch one of her live broadcasts, and you’ll understand. It’s addictive.]

[-Wow There’s even a Sandra compilation video.]

[-Did they hire a separate editor? Impressive.]

[-Heroes recognize heroes!]

As they say, nothing travels faster than the internet. People instantly flocked to Purple’s Youtube channel.

Among the many videos uploaded by Choi Byunghoon, the most popular one was the compilation of Sandra’s cutscenes.

[-Sandra is insanely gorgeous]

[-Check out (1:28)! There really is a Dracu named “Sweetheart.”]

[-Is that Bark? Or just another character with similar animations?]

[-It’s definitely unique content; it’s not just repurposed footage.]

[-Here’s a timeline. Please pin it to the top:

(0:02) Glance

(0:51) Willpower

(1:21) Sweetheart

(1:57) True Nature

(2:17) Embarrassed

(2:52) Yasss

(3:23) Honey

(3:59) Darling

(4:11) Trustworthy]

[-Wow, this dude is insane!］

People were ecstatic to see various sides of Sandra they had never seen before.

And somehow, rumors started spreading.

[-WTF…?]

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

[-I’ve never seen her express such emotions…]

[-Holy shit. She’s absolutely stunning! Can I make fan art? Please contact me!]

Foreign comments began appearing as well. Among them was a renowned illustrator known worldwide.

On the other hand, there was one video being shared more than any others.

The video featured someone instantly obtaining a golden shotgun through a ‘spin.’ Interestingly, it wasn’t the content itself that garnered attention.

[Channel moderator has pinned this comment.]

[AnatomyQA]

[World Taekwondo Federation? Sung Gyo is amazing!]

[Are you satisfied with automatic translation?]

[View original text]

[>WTF? Fucking Awesome!]

It was due to a foreign streamer’s comment about doing 40,000 spins, and strangely enough, its peculiar translation:

[-SungGyu…amazing…]

[-Why does taekwondo suddenly appear here? ]

[-Purple is legendary on Youtube too]

[-Anatomy grew significantly? Even got banned from PurpleTube.]

This tempest in a teapot began spilling over beyond its confines.

The next morning, Lee Kyungbok woke up groggily and, like most modern people, immediately checked his smart collar for notifications.

“…Huh?” Frowning slightly, he scrolled through the messages that had piled up overnight. They were all from Choi Byunghoon.

Heyyyy! Are you asleep?

Sleeping?

Mr. Goody Two-shoes strikes again.

Something’s going on with your channel right now.

Check it ASAP!

All these texts came in at around 1 AM. Below them was another message sent at 3 AM:

Wow…

Nope, seriously—you need to see this yourself.

I can’t sleep because my heart is racing so fast.

The last text arrived just before 4 AM.

Puzzled, Lee Kyungbok clicked on the link his friend had shared.

The link led to a newly created YouTube channel by his friend.

”…What is this?”

Lee Kyungbok’s half-closed eyes widened gradually.

Perfect Play

Subscribers: 101K

Despite being established less than a day ago, the channel already had over 100,000 subscribers. Consequently, each video boasted at least 100,000 views, with Sandra’s drawing more than 500,000 views alone.

Lee Kyungbok finally understood what Choi Byunghoon meant by “something big.”

“A silver button…”

“A silver button…” Lee Kyungbok, known as streamer Purple, became the quickest Youtuber ever to qualify for the Silver Creator Award.