Chapter 32: Unexpected Offer (1)

Lee Kyungbok was delighted. The chat window took up one side of his screen.

–Can you feel the difference between ‘Perfect’ now?

–It’s not Yami! Just completely different from Yami!

–Ah ha ha, it’s like comparing a low-rank ninja to Hokage, right? Ah ha ha ha

–Ahhh, this is what they call a perfect backdoor by White Tiger.

–Backdoor Pentakill!

The witty comments from viewers brought a smile to Lee Kyungbok’s face.

–Purple won, not our team.

–Exactly, lol.

–By the way, when did those jerks leave?

–They immediately ran away as soon as things got tough, no?

–Fled disgracefully and pathetically, ah ha ha

–So pathetic, ah ha ha ha ha

One viewer’s comment drew attention to the team members. As soon as the game ended, they hastily quit without even offering an apology.

–That’s why people end up being politicians.

-LMAO, they’re just salty cause they suck

-All their usernames are ruined LMAO

-Delete your accounts, noobs.

The mockery from viewers continued unabated.

Lee Kyungbok felt similarly but worried that letting it go unchecked could escalate matters further.

“Come on, don’t be too harsh. I managed to backdoor them thanks to enduring the 1v1.”

-Is this damage control?

-LOL, Purple melted the temple faster than you dealt with five enemies

-Silence…!

-WTF is wrong with you?!

-No, he played a great meat shield role.

-Ah LOL, you guys don’t understand

-Poor teammates, sacrificed by Black Enterprises.

-Haha, didn’t realize it was so bad

His comment polarized the chat between those impressed and those still mocking him, with the latter group being more dominant.

Lee Kyungbok rode the wave of reactions and added another remark.

“In the end, all that matters is winning, right?”

-That’s true.

-Haha, yeah, we need to win first.

-This is why PurTube thrives.

-The editor strikes again.

-If you need help, please put a carrot in your next video!

It was quite heartwarming amidst this exchange.

[‘Agent Q’ has sponsored you 10,000 won.]

[“Is there any game you can’t play…?”]

The sudden sponsorship caught everyone’s attention. It wasn’t initiated by Lee Kyungbok; Choi Byunghoon had clearly timed it perfectly.

“Ah, thank you for sponsoring, Queeda. As for games I can’t play, well, not yet.”

-Lollll Queedaaaaa

-Playing tricks as effortlessly as breathing again?

-But seriously, what should we say now? Lolll

-No one else stands a chance if Purple can’t do it?

–Indeed, that’s true.

The viewers immediately reacted to his words. Lee Kyungbok laughed and waved his hand dismissively.

“No, please let me finish in Korean. What I meant was ‘There are more games I haven’t played yet.’”

[‘MysticDoruWin’ has sponsored you 10,000 won.]

[???: It’s obvious even without trying.]

[‘PerfectInsight’ has sponsored you 5,000 won.]

[???: Many games aren’t attempted due to their sheer boredom.]

[‘VoiceOfConscience’ has sponsored you 20,000 won.]

[???: The overall quality of games is too low for consideration.]

As sponsorships poured in, the chat window flooded with laughter emojis “ㅋㅋㅋ”.

-Ah, gotcha!

-HaHaHa! Is he a troll or what?

-LOL, his distortion level rivals a black hole.

-???: Will try it if there’s a Purple difficulty version.

-Pay up before cracking jokes, dude!

—Info: The difficulty of gates has been lowered due to Purple’s influence.

—Is this for real?

The chat exploded with more jokes from viewers sensing their chance.

Lee Kyungbok checked the time as he expressed his gratitude for all the sponsorships pouring in.

Already?

More time had passed than he’d realized. This particular game took longer because Lee Kyungbok had prepared to enter through the back door solo while his teammates attempted a prolonged battle to manage kill count.

Despite that, there’re still over two thousand people…

A smile spread across his face naturally. Breaking past three thousand concurrent viewers after Kyungbok fans flocked to his stream was exciting, but what made him happier was seeing over two thousand stay until this late hour.

As the flood of sponsorships slowed down, Lee Kyungbok lightly clapped his hands together.

“Well, it’s getting late. I’m sure you all have work tomorrow, but thank you for staying with me this long.”

–?????

–Huh? It’s not that late, right?

–Time is relative, people! Don’t you know?!

–LOL, isn’t midnight just when the night owls get going?

–I don’t have a job to go to anyway!

–After watching this play, how could we watch any other streamer? You’re stuck with us now!

The viewers instantly reacted as they sensed what he was about to do, but their hopes were dashed.

–Is this his first perfect clear ever?

–Hey, don’t do it! You’ll regret it!

–Purple’s perfect clear is legendary!

–A perfect clear even on the final dungeon…!

–We’ll miss you (T_T)(T_T)

–Thumbs up! Perfect clear! Cue sad face!

The regulars had already resigned themselves and awaited Lee Kyungbok’s farewell message. Seeing these reactions brought a bright smile to his face.

“I’ll see you next time. Thumbs up!”

Mystic League was such a popular game that it had dedicated forums on various community sites.

Among them, MP.gg was by far the largest. It wasn’t just any ordinary forum but also provided services like checking players’ stats and finding team members for everything from duos to full squads of five. As such, MP.gg never slept, with users active at all hours of the day or night.

And right now, one particular streamer was setting this community ablaze.

The subject of everyone’s attention?

Kyungbok’s Defeat Today.avi

It featured Kyungbok, the universally acknowledged physical-type streamer. While he’d amassed popularity over his long streaming career, he’d also attracted plenty of trolls and snipers along the way due to jealousy over his success.

Over his long career as a streamer, he’d accumulated plenty of haters jealous of his success. Someone had uploaded this video after hearing about Kyungbok’s defeat.

[Loser Kyungbokooook LOL]

[Seriously overrated at this point…]

[LOL shortest tenure ever!]

The mocking comments received numerous upvotes as if they were coordinated. However, Kyungbok boasted just as many fans as detractors.

[Oh boy, here they go again… LMAO]

[They can’t even look him in the eye when they meet him in-game.]

[Trash talking despite not knowing how to properly snipe LMAO]

Fans immediately downvoted the post due to its obvious intent. The number of upvotes and downvotes fluctuated wildly, but all that attention propelled it to the top of trending videos.

[Kyungbok isn’t that good anyway.]

[Lol, wasn’t it because he rejected your offer due to your shitty coaching?]

[Haters won’t listen even if you explain yourself.]

[Kyungbok’s said multiple times that he prefers solo play.]

[I feel bad for him, getting laughed at after losing just once.]

[They’re all the same, aren’t they?]

[Do they not have confidence in their own abilities?]

[Just some clueless noobs sucking up to him. Lol.]

[Would they dare face off against Kyungbok in a lane battle?]

Thanks to these comments, the thread devolved into a mudslinging contest between two opposing camps. Despite their differences, there was one thing both sides agreed on:

[What kind of player is this Perfect Play guy?]

[Looks like a total scrub hahaahaha]

[A perfect gamer? Says who? ]

[Honestly, his skills were trash, so he lost.]

The discussion centered around the skill level of Player Perfect Play, who had defeated Kyungbok Ahjin.

-Not just any champ but Yami LOLLL

-Yami’s that good? That’s insane!

-He totally exposed himself there, didn’t he?

-Nah, he’s just crazy, that’s all.

-Yami’s ultimate is for pros only.

-I’ve never seen anyone use Yami’s ultimate before.

To top it off, Kyungbok had chosen “Yami,” the champion often used by trolls. Every user on this forum knew of Yami.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

-LOL, did you look up his previous records?

-Nope, tell me quick!

-Quit beating around the bush LOL

-What’re you waiting for? Just do it already LMAO

-Me neither, but I see others haven’t bothered either.

-(OP) This was only their second match ever.

-WTF?!

[Lolwut???!]

How many hours had it taken the Player who defeated Kyungbok?

Curiosity got the better of some forum users, and they searched for Perfect Play’s records using the site’s history function. However, this only raised more questions.

[–Seriously though, I don’t like him either, but how could he lose to a newbie with just two wins under their belt?]

[Maybe because there was a gun pointed at his head?]

[That still counts as losing no matter what you do.]

[I think they’re on the same west server.]

[A Mystic streamer playing only twice?]

[Nope, he’s just a regular gamer. There’s footage of Bark on Youtube.]

[What even is “Bark,” lol?]

[Here’s the link.]

Both fans and antis who hadn’t watched the stream themselves continued to investigate Streamer Purple’s identity even as interest began to wane elsewhere on the forum.

Then a new post appeared:

[Kyungbok just issued an apology!]

[LOL he tried acting all innocent but got caught! I knew it would happen someday. He dissed his opponent for picking Yami before the match started, but look how that backfired!

And then he realized what a mess he’d made when trying to gang up on him with his teammates, only to get royally screwed over, right? So after losing so miserably, did he regret it enough to apologize immediately at the end of the game? LOLLLLL

He knows he messed up, yet he went straight into advertising mode afterward. LOLLLL

Trying to maintain his image while making bank, huh? LOLLLL

What a fucking joke!]

Someone had clipped and uploaded footage of Kyungbok immediately apologizing to Purple right after their game ended.

-I knew this would happen LOLLLL

-What’s with that apology? He should’ve known better!

-The other party didn’t even accept it, so is that supposed to be the end?

-His character sucks;;;

-WTF, what kind of satanic editing is this? Didn’t he say he’d apologize again when they came back from commercial?!

-Look closer—it’s just a clip, not the full video. LOL

-No, actually…the stream ended right after the ad break.

-Purple logged off first anyway, so…

-I don’t like him either, but this is kinda petty.

This post also turned into another battleground between anti-Kyungbok trolls and his fans. Amidst all the bickering, though, people began raising questions as more details were revealed.

-I saw them winning 1 vs. 1, but then they lost 1 vs. 5?

[-Yami won with a 5:1 kill ratio?!]

[-Not just any win—it was a pentakill! LOLLLL]

[-Wait, you mean Yummy Yami?]

[-How much of this is true?]

[-Ahjin Guild secured another victory today.]

[-I’m so confused… I’ll go watch it myself.]

Amidst all the chaos, someone finally posted something that could clear things up.

[Purple, this is legit.]

[Watch this video first.

Yami Temple Backdoor Pentakill Highlights

WTF? The title alone sounds nonsensical, like “Traditional Polish Blood Sausage Rice Bowl from 60 BC.” These words don’t belong together, do they?

But seriously, check it out.]

It’s not the same match where Kyungbok fought White Tiger but the next one.

But Purple picked Yami anyway, so his teammates started throwing tantrums

They were willing to put up with that, but then these guys risked their lives for some MMR management? Seriously, though, even when presented with a safe opportunity, they wouldn’t help out. It was clear they were retaliating against him for trolling them earlier. So why not just forfeit instead of playing like this? Purple kept farming silently and eventually backdoored the enemy base using the Monarch meta strategy.

As evident from the footage, Purple’s physical prowess was truly godlike. One touch meant instant death, yet no one could land a hit on him. With extreme damage-dealing settings, he tore down towers as well as champions who dared return fire. 💀💀💀💀 He scored pentakills in the blink of an eye, melted the temple, and ended the game.

The first video Choi Byunghoon edited and uploaded to his Purple Youtube channel showcased Kyungbok’s abilities. Users who had already been suspicious of streamer Purple gathered on the forum thread one by one—and they soon realized the truth.

[LMAO, this is legit.]

[Whoa… What the hell is this…?]

[Kyungbok actually went head-to-head with this guy?]

[Looks like Kyungbok might be even better.]

[Are you sure they’re both human?]

[I thought he was all bark, but I stand corrected. LOL]

[I’m just blown away.]

Most of these comments were from haters who were jealous of Kyungbok, but very few were directed at Purple himself. When there was such a wide gap between abilities, envy turned to admiration instead. Having experienced the Mystic League themselves, they understood just how impressive Purple’s performance had been.

[LMAO what kind of idiots were his teammates?]

[LOL, and they kicked him out for being too weak?!]

[Hahahaha, what losers!]

[What a bunch of dumbasses LMAO]

[I’d be unstoppable with even one of those guys on my team.]

[Seriously, a cesspool of fools LOL]

And so, the names of Lee Kyungbok’s former teammates became permanently etched in the minds of forum users—for all the wrong reasons.

The next day at noon, Lee Kyungbok and his friends gathered at their usual café.

“How’s it looking? Good reactions?” Choi Byunghoon wore a smug smile despite the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.

Lee Kyungbok chuckled as he checked the comments on the video that had been uploaded.

-Is this for real? Didn’t you just extract the character source to make this?

-Even if you did, it’s still impressive!

-LOL This is legit! Watched everything in one sitting.

-Still haven’t subscribed?!

-Even a ninja IRL couldn’t do better than this LOLLLL

-Ninja IRL LOLLLL

-Damn LOLLL Suddenly saw so many trolls early this morning.

-ROFL Saw someone try this after watching this vid

-I tried making mudras during training but kept messing up

-LOL Thought I teleported to the Hidden Leaf Village

The comments on YouTube ranged from shock to admiration.

“It looks like it’s trending on social media now. Our subscriber count is rising again.”

At Park Juhho’s words, Lee Kyungbok turned his attention back to the screen.

Perfect Play

Subscribers: 169K

Their number of subscribers had been stagnant after the Bio Crisis raid, but they were finally starting to rise once more.

Lee Kyungbok couldn’t stop grinning at this development. Watching him, Park Juhho adjusted his glasses.

“And regarding Kyungbok, we received word from his side.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“I spoke with his manager while you were asleep.”

“His manager?” Lee Kyungbok stared wide-eyed at Choi Byunghoon, as if asking whether he’d known about this, too.

Choi Byunghoon nodded slightly.

“I’ve told you before—it’s better not to get too involved with stuff outside of our broadcasts.”

“Of course, nothing will happen without your consent first.”

The two friends had no intention of keeping Lee Kyungbok any longer after his stream ended. Even if his body wasn’t physically tired, mental fatigue was inevitable.

“We discussed several things, but getting straight to the point, this isn’t just about an apology or mending fences.”

“That makes sense. From what I saw, it didn’t seem like he meant it that sincerely anyway.”

Lee Kyungbok had watched Kyungbok’s video. It was a polite and standard apology similar to the message requesting to add him as a friend. As a fellow streamer, Kyungbok understood why Kyungbok felt compelled to make such a statement.

“Yes, they’re proposing a merger.”

“Hmm…I figured as much.”

A merger referred to a joint broadcast where multiple streamers collaborated on content.

It meant multiple streamers would host similar content simultaneously.

“So…we’d be like the Mystic Duo or something?”

“Nope, he wants you as his guest, not just to play the game together.”

“…Guest?”

“Yeah, have you heard of Craftsmanship Deconstructed?”

“…Deconstructed?”

Lee Kyungbok raised an eyebrow at Park Juhho’s question.

“You see? He doesn’t know about it either.”

“Well, I guess it’s weird that I do.” Choi Byunghoon rubbed his forehead and shook his head. “Basically, they invite skilled gamers, or ‘craftsmen,’ on their show so viewers can learn from them. The guests get more exposure, while Kyungbok gets to showcase his skills. It’s a win-win situation for both parties, so this is a good offer.”

“Oh, okay. So I’ll need to teach him Bark, then?”

Lee Kyungbok nodded as comprehension dawned on him. He was certain that Bio Crisis would be considered his masterpiece over Mystic League, since even the developer had acknowledged it as such.

“No, actually, I’m going to do the opposite this time.”

“The opposite? You mean you’re not doing it?” Lee Kyungbok asked Park Juhho.

“I don’t mean pass on the show but rather switch roles with my guest.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“We’ll have to discuss the details when we meet, but Kyungbok wants to be the master sharing tips and tricks this time around.”

“So I’d be the apprentice?”

“Yes.”

“But why?” Lee Kyungbok was puzzled.

Why would Kyungbok give up hosting duties for someone else’s stream?

Choi Byunghoon chuckled at his friend’s confusion. “Kyungbok realized something.”

“He did?”

As soon as Choi Byunghoon heard about the proposal, he understood Kyungbok’s intention.

“That there’s no way he could keep up with Purple.”