Chapter 26: Not A Troll (1)

As has historically been the case, the weekend flew by quickly. Finally, come evening on Monday, after enduring the post-weekend blues at work, it was time for streamer Purple’s broadcast.

-LMAO, looking forward to today’s broadcast

-Wondering which new game he’ll play?

-Based on the poll results, seems like DebaeX…

-No Bark again?

-What’s the point when all the juice has been squeezed out of it?

-I’ve seen the true ending; it’s time for another game LMAO

The chat window filled with viewers eagerly awaiting the stream. Although most were fans of Bio Crisis, they demanded different content from their favorite streamer.

Shortly thereafter, the intro video ended, and Lee Kyungbok appeared on screen.

“Twha! Hello everyone!” He greeted his audience with his usual wide smile.

-Purple!

-TMI, it’s been too long!

-Lol, nice to see you back for the weekend~

-LOL Pretending to be busy much, huh?

The viewers welcomed him enthusiastically.

Lee Kyungbok discreetly checked his viewer count.

Only eight hundred… It’s definitely lower than before.

Considering this was only his second week of streaming, it was still quite impressive, but he wasn’t just any ordinary streamer. His previous broadcast had started with over one thousand viewers, so the difference felt more pronounced.

“I’ve been itching to get back on air myself.”

–Did you play alone during your break? Didja?

–Bet you were bored outta your mind!

–Ha-ha, take some time off while you’re at it, ha-ha!

–Yeah, chill and relax already~

Lee Kyungbok’s smile widened at the affectionate ribbing from his audience. He then lightly clapped his hands to grab their attention.

“Oh please, I didn’t just sit around all weekend. First off, let me make an announcement. We have a new family member—a manager for our broadcast!”

“Ooh?”

“Ha-ha-ha! Building quite a team there, huh?”

“The latest victim of Black Company Purple…”

“Hey, isn’t it hell over there?”

“Hurry up and get to work! Hurry up and get to work!”

“All hail Manager!” ^^7

The viewers welcomed the manager with jokes.

“And next, regarding the streaming schedule. Basically, we’ll be broadcasting five days a week, taking two weekdays off.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“You’re only going live five days a week?”

“Compensate us for emotional distress! Compensate us!”

“But does that mean you’ll stream nonstop during weekends?”

The audience immediately protested, but Lee Kyungbok wasn’t finished yet.

“That’s just the minimum. If I’m feeling good, I’ll stream on weekends too. Who knows? Maybe even every day!”

Initially, he had planned to take two days off each week, but his friends disagreed with him. Park Juhho advised Kyungbok to keep pushing until his broadcasts stabilized, and Choi Byunghoon analyzed that they didn’t have enough loyal viewers yet for him to take two days off. Ironically, it was those who needed rest most who told him one day would suffice.

And so here we are with this ambiguous schedule.

The way something is expressed can change how people perceive it. Feeling like you’re losing out when taking a sixth day off after initially committing to six days of streaming per week versus considering an extra broadcast as a bonus after planning only five days—people react differently depending on the phrasing used.

“But since I’m doing well this week, I’ll be broadcasting six days.”

-5252! I knew it!

-Aha, six days of streaming is king!

-Poor Purple… Even their day off gets taken away…

-Doesn’t Black Purple mean broadcasting seven days a week?

-Same here.

As expected, the viewers’ reactions were positive.

-User “I’mCurious” has sponsored you 5,000 won.L

-Oh, really?!

-User “NewGame!” has sponsored you 1,000 won.L

-Just asking once more… What game are we playing today…?

Lee Kyungbok bowed deeply as sponsorships came pouring in.

“I was just about to bring this up. First and foremost, my deepest gratitude goes out to all the viewers who voted on PewTube.”

-Haha, sponsorship well spent!

-I can’t stand waiting any longer LMAO

-Glad someone finally asked LOL

—Please subscribe to my PewTube channel if you’re Korean!

Most of the viewers who had eagerly awaited this broadcast also participated in the vote. They now waited for Lee Kyungbok’s announcement.

“I carefully chose from among the games featured in your videos. And the game I selected is…” Lee Kyungbok paused dramatically.

The number of viewers was approximately eighteen hundred. It seemed most potential viewers had already joined the stream.

—Come onnnn!

—Will it be revealed after sixty seconds?

—Ha ha! Feeling dizzy here!

—Stop with the MusicNet-style suspense!

Lee Kyungbok opened the login screen as he announced:

“It’s Mystic League!”

Mystic League (Mythic League)

‘Mystic League’ was the virtual reality sequel developed by the creators of ‘Legend League’, which had been the most popular PC game during its heyday.

-????

-Mystic League?

-Why is he playing that?

-Wait… Wasn’t it at the bottom of the voting results?

The chat window filled with question marks. It wasn’t surprising, as most of his current viewers were drawn from Bio Crisis. They typically preferred story-driven packaged games over online ones.

-Erm…

-I didn’t expect this.

-I’ll come back later when you play something else…

-If you want to watch Mystic League, better find another streamer.

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

Any other streamer might have been flustered by this reaction, but Lee Kyungbok remained calm. He had anticipated such responses to some extent. Nonetheless, there was a reason he chose this game.

“In fact, I received offers from pro Legend League teams when I was still in high school.”

-??

-In high school?!

-Wow, you were exceptional even back then!

-Sounds fishy though…

This time, question marks filled the chat for a different reason. The decreasing number of viewers suddenly stabilized as they became interested in Purple’s backstory—a popular term being ‘drama.’

“It’s completely true. Offers came from three different teams: Tier 1, Dandy, and Giwon Diamond.”

-Huh?

-Omg LOLLLLLLLL

-All three from Tier 1?!

-Ha ha! Yeah right LMAO

-But isn’t Purple good enough for now?

The viewers were torn between believing and doubting him. It was understandable, as there was no tangible evidence to back up his claims—only his word. Unfortunately, Lee Kyungbok hadn’t anticipated this reaction, so he had nothing else with which to prove himself.

[-User ReallyReallyTrue has sponsored you 5,000 won.]

[-Huh? So why didn’t you go then?]

This sponsorship echoed the question on everyone’s mind.

“Thank you for your support. Um, I can’t provide details because it’s personal. At that time, I was going through a difficult period… My parents passed away due to an accident.”

Lee Kyungbok couldn’t reveal anything about his illness but shared some of his family history instead.

-Oh…

-Ah…

–––––––––****–

–I had no idea…

The chat window turned somber.

Lee Kyungbok waved off their concern. “It’s okay now. It’s been quite some time since then, and my parents would’ve been happy knowing I’m loved like this.”

His words flooded the chat with crying emojis.

[User PurpleIsBest has sponsored you 10,000 won.]

[You’re doing great!]

“Oh, thank you for your sponsorship. So, as I mentioned earlier, ever since starting these broadcasts, I’ve really wanted to try playing the sequel to Legend League at least once.” Lee Kyungbok forced himself to smile brightly, trying his best not to let the mood darken further.

–Purple could make even Mystic League exciting

–First, we need that invincibility buff!

–Everyone buckle up!

–He might just ace Mystic League too, right?!

With approximately 1,700 viewers tuning in, Lee Kyungbok’s new broadcast officially began.

Meanwhile, at Choi Byunghoon’s apartment, both landlord Choi Byunghoon and his tenant Park Juhho monitored Lee Kyungbok’s broadcast together.

“The Mystic League…” Park Juhho adjusted his glasses with a puzzled look on his face. “I did hear rumors that Kyungbok was quite good.”

As they were classmates, he had heard about the offer for Lee Kyungbok to join a pro team back then. During those days, only a handful of students didn’t play Legend, so it wasn’t surprising that everyone knew about it.

“But hasn’t it been almost ten years since he last played? Will he be okay?”

Choi Byunghoon scratched the back of his head. “Well, there are certainly many variables here. A lot has changed with the transition to the Mystic League.”

Playing Legend League with a keyboard and mouse versus embodying your character in Mystic League made them completely different games. Due to this change in control mechanics, most of the champions from the previous game had been replaced.

“Yes, it’s practically a whole new game.”

“Everything has changed, but…” Choi Byunghoon nodded thoughtfully before smiling. “Lee Kyungbok hasn’t changed, though. And there’s also the nature of the genre to consider.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve never played Legend League with Kyungbok, have you?”

“…You know what I was doing back then, right?” Park Juhho’s eyes narrowed.

Choi Byunghoon chuckled nervously at his friend’s irritation and shook his head.

“No, that’s not what I meant. In any case, Kyungbok’s greatness isn’t just about his ability to handle champions well. He has excellent game sense when it comes to map awareness and issuing orders.”

The gameplay wouldn’t change significantly even if the characters did, so adapting shouldn’t be too difficult for him.

“But putting all that aside, there’s another aspect of this match I’m looking forward to.”

“What do you mean?”

Choi Byunghoon’s smile widened further.

“You know how Kimaro plays? It doesn’t allow him to fully utilize Lee Kyungbok’s physical prowess.”

Park Juhho still had doubts but didn’t voice them. Actions speak louder than words, after all. The choice of character by Lee Kyungbok spoke volumes.

Lee Kyungbok had already chosen his character when selecting the game. It was a ninja named Yamii dressed in black robes adorned with ancient writing. In Japanese, “Yami” means darkness, and this assassin-type character specialized in magic damage. With its versatile skill set based on chakra levels, various elemental hand seals could be utilized.

It’s like a mix between the Legend League’s assassin Ka-alin and sorcerer Luid.

Its appearance and weapon resembled those of Ka-alin, while its skills were similar to Luid’s, known for its ability to change stances. Lee Kyungbok chose Yamii because it reminded him of one of his favorite champions from another game.

-????

-Picking Yamii?

-Seriously…

-Bro? Is this your first time playing or what?

The chat window reactions weren’t favorable. Regardless of their preference for packaged games, everyone here had experience with Mystic League.

-Yummy~~~

-Is this some kind of meta trolling? LOL

-It’s not a perfect pick but rather a troll…

-I mean, it doesn’t matter ’cause it’s just a tutorial anyway. LOL

-LMAO! If he smells like shit, I’m immediately changing characters!

Among players, Yami was more commonly known as “Yummy” instead of “darkness.” As an assassin class, they had low HP and required much effort to master their seals. Additionally, since one couldn’t use their hands while casting spells, they were particularly vulnerable in close-quarter combat.

“Really that bad? That’s strange because she seemed pretty cool in her intro video.”

The chat window filled with frowning emoticons.

-Hyung, seriously, it’s fucking trash.

-LMAO! Her pick rate has been in the gutter for ages now.

-I’ll ask her name, look up her lineage, then greet all her ancestors. LOL

-She’d get reported for intentional trolling. LOL

-In all seriousness, she’s the queen of instigating dodging…

Lee Kyungbok was puzzled by this negative reaction. “That’s odd. Aren’t mage assassins popular these days? Back when I played Legend League, they were always the first pick among junglers.”

-When was that ever?!

-Easy to aim with Kimaro, but not anymore.

-LMAO Even if you can barely cast buffs, aiming spells is harder LOL

-If you don’t kite properly, you’re dead meat, but it’s too hard in VR -_-

-Unless you’re a pro, best avoid ADC characters altogether.

-Even close-range junglers are hard enough, let alone ranged ones! LMAO

The difference between PC and virtual reality play lay at the heart of these complaints. Unlike playing from a bird’s-eye view on a computer monitor, controlling a character in first-person perspective made aiming and judging distance difficult for beginners. As such, the standard advice was to start with melee characters before progressing to ranged combatants.

Despite all this, Lee Kyungbok wanted to showcase his skills.

“But I’m actually recognized as a good jungler, you know? That’s why they offered me a spot on their team.”

He wasn’t some newbie; he considered himself quite experienced when it came to MOBAs.

“Is Purple being stubborn?”

“No, but he’s not crazy either! He has a point…”

“Watch your language!”

“Back in the day, junglers were important.”

“Latte is…soy latte is the best!”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the jungler position dictated the flow of the entire game. No wonder “jungle gap” was common jargon among players.

“Honestly, this only applies at pro-league level…”

“In casual games, junglers just get blamed for everything.”

“Huh? Aren’t we supposed to have fun here?”

“Many people refuse to jungle below Gold Dak rank. LOL.”

-LMAO! What’s with the Gold Dak obsession? Why not just stick to bottom lane?

-LMAO! Even Gold Dak players want to have fun too!

-Honestly, let’s play more three-versus-three maps!

-If there were ranked three-versus-three matches, junglers would be obsolete LMAO

The testimonies continued unabated.

Lee Kyungbok read the chat, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

“Three versus three?”

His reaction prompted further laughter from the viewers.

-LMAO! You sound like my uncle.

-The hardcore gamers prefer even fewer lanes—just top, mid, and bot LMAO

-I suddenly feel so old…

-LMAO! It feels like Dad is watching.

-???: This…this isn’t AOS anymore!

-Yup, always quick to judge LMAO

In this type of map, each player was assigned one of the three lanes. While teamwork became less important, it also meant dealing with less stress caused by teammates.

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

“Wow… The world has changed so much.” Despite being middle-aged, Lee Kyungbok felt like he was from another generation altogether. The gap between the computer and virtual reality eras seemed wider than he’d anticipated.

Just then…

[Agent Q has suggested a quest!]

[Objective: Achieve three consecutive wins using Yami.]

[Reward: 1,000,000 won]

[Punishment: Admit that you’re full of crap]

A quest popped up.

-LMAO Q agent still alive huh

-Wow LMAO been waiting for this game update

-Did it just appear now?

-Not just 3 wins but 3 consecutive ones? Have some mercy LMAO

-Hey, isn’t there supposed to be a 3 million won reward?

The viewers’ attention immediately shifted to the quest.

“Oh, Qudali, thank you for offering me this quest! It’s been a while.” Lee Kyungbok’s eyes sparkled as he greeted him warmly.

“I wouldn’t be perfect if I avoided such a valuable quest, now would I? Let’s tackle it head-on.”

This was an excellent reason to override any objections from his audience.

–Purple dude, don’t cross that river…!

–What does he mean? Is he hinting at a 24-hour stream?

–Whether he succeeds or fails, it’ll still be hilarious

–Qudali, is he going to reclaim his spot as a Q Agent?

–Who knew we’d live to see Yamillo streaming?!

–But Purple instead of HOXY?

–Strangely enough, I’m looking forward to it

–Will Yamillo achieve ‘Perfect’? Then he deserves the invincibility pass.

Lee Kyungbok’s declaration ignited a flurry of chat messages.