Chapter 8: Streamer Purple's Debut, I

As soon as Lee Kyungbok ended his broadcast, Choi Byunghoon rushed to his house.

“Damn it! Didn’t I tell you? Huh? I said this would be huge!” Choi Byunghoon couldn’t contain his excitement upon seeing Lee Kyungbok.

Lee Kyungbok smiled at his friend’s reaction and replied, “I felt it too. This could really take off.”

“Yes, seriously! Hey, come check this out.” Choi Byunghoon quickly sat down in front of Lee Kyungbok’s computer. He navigated to the ‘Hot Clips’ section on TnT’s website.

“Do you see that? Huh? Do you see?! Not only is your clip on the first page, but it’s also in the top five!”

“What’s with this site? Is it adult content?”

“No, it’s rated 19+ because Bio Crisis (Bark) is categorized as an adult game!”

In reality, Lee Kyungbok’s confusion was understandable.

Most of the clips in the hot videos section featured female streamers with revealing outfits. Among them was Lee Kyungbok’s video blurred out due to its age restriction.

After Choi Byunghoon explained everything, Lee Kyungbok could genuinely celebrate.

“Wow… All three made it?”

“Yep, yep. I uploaded only the best moments.” Choi Byunghoon proudly boasted.

He had monitored the live stream continuously and promptly uploaded any noteworthy scenes. The rescue of the police officer, the discovery of the hidden route, the first Cue Agent quest, and the swift handling of the cluster—all were included.

“I considered uploading Sandra’s final scene too, but it was too short, so I skipped it. Plus, posting too many might lead to backlash.”

“Well, I trust you’ll handle it well.”

Lee Kyungbok had faith in his friend’s abilities.

Feeling even more upbeat at these words, Choi Byunghoon quickly navigated to another webpage. It was a post on the Bark community forum:

[BREAKING: New Bark Route Discovered!]

[It’s legit, not clickbait. Save the police early and unlock it. Check out the clip.]

[-How do you save the police?]

[-Clickbait is getting old these days.]

[-Spammers Out!]

The initial comments were quite aggressive, but those further down were completely different:

[-Is this Jihoon?]

[-LOL, insane!]

[-Boomk is back…]

[-New streamer alert?]

[-Wait, why “BasicAccount”?]

People who watched the clip rapidly left their comments. As views skyrocketed, the post instantly became one of the top articles, securing its place on the community homepage.

“Ah, that’s why we suddenly had more viewers.” Lee Kyungbok finally realized what was happening.

The surge of viewers was due to Choi Byunghoon’s efforts.

“Huh?! Did you think I’ve been goofing off all this time?”

“You let me play around?”

“I’m just joking.”

Choi Byunghoon chuckled at Lee Kyungbok’s joke, but his response was also playful banter.

“Hey, hey! But that’s not the main issue. Do you know what’s truly amazing here?” There was still something left for him to reveal—the real reason Choi Byunghoon thought this situation was fantastic.

“What is it?” As Lee Kyungbok’s eyes widened with curiosity, Choi Byunghoon quickly navigated to another webpage.

It was ‘Tweetie,’ a social networking site known for its short messaging format.

[CAP COMPANY_official]

[@capcompany_official]

We can now share our story thanks to @LKB2202. Thank you!

#Biocrisis #Korea #World1st #ThankstoLKB2202 #TrueEnd

2,600 retweets/1,900 likes

It was from the official account of Cap Co., the developers behind Bio Crisis. With the hidden route unlocked, they had mentioned Lee Kyungbok’s social media handle on their platform.

“Wow… Is this for real?”

As a gamer, he couldn’t help but feel thrilled that the developer directly acknowledged him.

“It’s true! Absolutely true!”

Choi Byunghoon burst out laughing as he found Lee Kyungbok’s reaction amusing. However, Lee Kyungbok quickly wiped away his smile and expressed some disappointment.

“Ah…I should’ve been more prepared for this. LKB2202.”

Both the hot clip and the tweet mentioned Lee Kyungbok’s Twitter account name, LKB2202.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Anyone interested after seeing this will follow you anyway. You can easily change your username later.”

“I guess that was my intention when I ended the stream early.”

“Yeah. Your next broadcast will likely have many more viewers, probably at least a thousand.”

“Really?”

“Exactly! Hey, anyway, I prepared something for you.” Choi Byunghoon casually waved his hand to connect his smart collar to the computer. After completing the setup, a presentation appeared on the monitor.

“I’ve initially shortlisted some names based on your gameplay.”

“Ohhh…”

What Choi Byunghoon had ready was a list of potential streamer names along with their selection rationale. He aimed to find unique names that highlighted Lee Kyungbok’s distinctive qualities while avoiding overlaps with other streamers.

“Take a quick look through these. If none catch your fancy, let’s brainstorm together.”

“Nope, one really stands out to me.”

“Really? Which one?”

“Yes, this is perfect.” Lee Kyungbok responded with a smile.

The following day, not just Bio Crisis forums but all gaming communities were buzzing with excitement over a new topic.

[Summary of Achievements by Recent Streamer Causing Chaos]

[Hard to summarize in three lines, so here’s a point-by-point breakdown:]

Rescued the police officer everyone else gave up on and obtained the card key.
Acquired police gear from the storage room.
Completed the Cue Agent quest, earning 2,500,000 won. Forced name change to “Long-Legged Cue” (Reached underground without damage; cleared cluster melee combat)
Achieved everything without using the HUD
Sandra suddenly changed, causing rewards to vanish.
Officially endorsed by Gumdrop.
For reference, this is the streamer’s first broadcast.

[I can’t believe it even after reading through.] The number of comments was substantial due to the topic’s popularity.

[-Is this about Earth 25?]

[-No no, they’re saying parallel universe haha]

[-The rewards are insane haha]

[-I feel sorry for you; you don’t know the true meaning of ‘bait and switch’…]

[-Why bother with Bark if Sandra won’t get scolded?]

[-Isn’t the subtle care the reason why Sandra is so fond of him?]

[-Using ‘Cue Agent’ was brilliant haha]

[-Seeing the sponsorship amount change was hilarious hahahaha]

[-Got what he deserved for talking money, right?]

[-Why are there so many missed opportunities? Where’s the one-shot-one-kill?]

[-If you keep doing this, we’ll stop tipping!]

[LMAO most people wouldn’t bother reading if it were too detailed]

[Just summarize it with three letters: ‘legend’.]

Of course, not all comments were positive; some were outraged.

[-Who is this guy causing all this fuss since yesterday? A viral marketing dog.]

[Let’s watch the broadcast first.]

[LOL, who let the trolls out?]

[How long does the clip need to be for you not to watch it?]

[Do you even know what trolling means?]

[Reporting your account, troll.]

[-So many naive kids here. Clearly, someone set up an AI bot due to excessive trolling.]

[I’m just here to stir things up before deleting my account.]

[LMAO, AI-generated spam]

[-Why use a Korean account for that?]

[Lol, no reason to feed the anti-Koreans]

[님, certified empty head ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

However, such comments either remained as evidence or were deleted and the poster ran away. The next most popular post after this was:

[When will LKB2202 broadcast?]

[There is no notice on Tri’s channel. Neither did he announce it on his YouTube channel. Is he really a streamer?]

It referred to Lee Kyungbok’s upcoming broadcasting schedule.

[-Don’t write these kinds of posts!]

[-Won’t you feel burdened now that it has been mentioned everywhere?]

[-You killed him…]

[-Whoever gets this much attention for their first broadcast would be surprised]

[-Just shut up and follow him.]

[-This is delicious]

[Don’t worry about broadcasting.]

[-These bastards writing this stuff don’t sponsor or even watch the stream.]

[#Fact All of them.]

What if Lee Kyungbok felt burdened and stopped broadcasting? The viewers who watched on the first day were very sensitive to any signs of this happening. As such, their expectations gradually turned into anxiety.

[A big one has arrived!]

[The broadcast is open! Opening the portal!]

News of Lee Kyungbok’s broadcast spread through the community.

[-I believed in youuuu!]

[-Woooooooh!]

[-Ah ah, I can’t stand it anymore.]

[-Taste just a bit of the sponsorship I prepared!]

With these words, the viewers started moving.

“Hello.” Lee Kyungbok greeted viewers as soon as he started broadcasting. It felt awkward and unfamiliar to him, but Choi Byunghoon had informed him that this was the standard greeting format.

-Hiyo!

-Hellohello!

-SniffSniff NewbieSmell

-Awkwardness is cute ㅋㅋㅋ

-Thank you! Really thank you!

-I’m not someone who cries easily, but I am tearing up now.

-Don’t run away! Face them and fight!

-Yo! This is the Hahko newbie room, so no code talk allowed!

-It’s not Hahko anymore, right? Let’s make it happen!

The chat window rapidly scrolled upwards. The number of viewers effortlessly surpassed 200 from the start. Moreover, they had been eagerly awaiting his broadcast, causing the chat messages to flood in like crazy.

“Hello everyone. Wow, the chat is moving too fast, so I won’t be able to respond to each message individually. Please understand.”

Lee Kyungbok decided to only focus on the notable messages instead of trying to read through everything.

-What do you mean ‘forgive’? It’s all our fault!

-The chat! Stop it!

-Hahahaha… already have some traitors appearing

-Why is sponsorship closed? Why is sponsorship closed? Why is sponsorship closed? Why is sponsorship closed?

-Room master! Open the door! Room master, open the door!

-Open your wallets! Sponsorship incoming!

Despite these pleas, the intensity in the chat didn’t diminish. Opening up sponsorship amidst this chaos would only exacerbate the situation. After all, it was difficult to ignore those who had paid money.

“I’ll gradually enable sponsorships later. First and foremost, thank you for joining me today. Did I not mention my name until yesterday?” Lee Kyungbok spoke with a smile.

The chat window was flooded with ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’.

-I’m number one as a streamer without being on Forbes list.

-Wasn’t it OneShotTroll?

-There is already a streamer named OneShot;

-OneShot, the mysterious troll.

Lee Kyungbok decided not to react separately to the chat window. If a streamer got pulled into the chat, their broadcast would become messy.

“As this is my first time starting, I haven’t thought about subscriptions or creating a YouTube channel yet. Still, since I will continue streaming activities, I’ll gradually set them up.”

-A big thing has arrived! A big thing has arrived! A big thing has arrived! A big thing has arrived!

-Save the clip now, Now you can’t run away

-If you stop broadcasting, you’ll be punished for some crime!

-People are laughing uncontrollably!

-Haha, nobody can stop me now.

Meanwhile, Lee Kyungbok changed the channel and stream settings. The name ‘LKB2202’ no longer existed.

“Then let me formally introduce you to Streamer Purple, PerfectPlay!”

PerfectPlay meant striving for perfection. This was the name chosen by Lee Kyungbok.

-Waiting for what? Hahaha

-Suits you well, King! Hahaha

-Purple!

-What happened to the newbie I knew…?

-I wish Cue Agent could see this hahaha

The viewers’ reactions were explosive. If another streamer had used such a name, they would’ve been ridiculed. However, Lee Kyungbok had already demonstrated his skills once before.

“Well then, without further ado, let’s get started!”

Lee Kyungbok immediately launched Bio Crisis. The view reversed, and once again, choices appeared before his eyes:

[Would you like to join ‘Sandra’?]

[1. Yes - “No, I have nowhere else to go. Let’s go together.”]

[2. No - ‘It would be foolish to follow a stranger in this situation’]

Naturally, Lee Kyungbok chose option 1. As he did, John recited his dialogue:

“I’m glad. Every person counts right now. Please come with me.”

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

-Sandra is smiling?

-‘Every person counts’? Is it from the protagonist?

-Wow, a true hidden route…

-Sandra’s eyes! I’m dying!

-That’s not Sandra!

-The contempt in her gaze…

-Can’t you feel it just by stepping out of your room?

-Stop it! This is too scary… We’ll all die at this rate…!

As Choi Byunghoon said, the number of viewers had already surpassed 1,000. Amidst the bustling chat window, the scene changed abruptly.

John and Sandra were walking along the road. Numerous vehicles lay wrecked from accidents, and there wasn’t a single building nearby that appeared undamaged.

“Wait.” Sandra, who was leading the way, lowered her voice and clenched her fists. John immediately crouched down and hid behind a car with her.

“There are zombies. One at one o’clock, two more at eleven and ten o’clock.”

“So…”

“No.” As John reached for his gun, Sandra quickly grabbed his hand.

-She’s holding hands?

-For me, it was just a high-five though?

-Wait;;; What kind of discrimination is this;;;

-LMAO; What kind of discrimination is this;;

-Why didn’t you say ‘spinning’? Why?!

-Why has Sandra suddenly become innocent?

-I think she’ll go out for lunch! I think she’ll go out for lunch!

The chat window was filled with various reactions due to shock. However, there was no time to read each message individually.

Sandra continued while pulling out her knife, “Other zombies might be attracted by the sound of gunfire. And… No, let’s discuss that later. Anyway, we need to quietly deal with them so as not to draw more zombies towards our camp.”

“Quietly?”

“Yes, I’ll handle two of them. You take one. Once I make my move, follow me.”

With those final words, the cutscene ended. Regaining control, Lee Kyungbok grasped his riot baton and smiled.

“I can handle them on my own.”

“What?” Sandra’s eyes widened at Lee Kyungbok’s words, but he didn’t wait for her response. He swiftly leaped over the car and charged toward the zombies.

“Grrr…”

The sound of his footsteps made one zombie turn its head, but by then, the riot baton was already right in front of it. With a sickening crack, blood splattered as the skull shattered.

“John…!” Sandra’s voice trailed off behind him, but Lee Kyungbok continued without hesitation, immediately rushing towards the other two zombies.

“This is nothing.” He lightly pushed off from the ground, effortlessly bending his waist. In quick succession, he struck one zombie with the riot baton while kicking the other with his combat boot—a move reminiscent of martial arts films. The zombies crumpled to the ground with dull thuds.

-Huh?

-Look at this…

-Wahh… Physical what?

-Nick value is rising haha

-Wow… He’s dealing with all of them.

Sandra arrived late and stared at him in amazement. Lee Kyungbok met her gaze.

-What will Sandra say now?

-SB This doesn’t seem like a situation to swear.

-???: It would be better if you just kill yourself, moron. Ah, but do you have the courage for it?

-Ugh haha - You wouldn’t say that if you couldn’t handle one zombie.

-Info: In English, it means ‘Kill Yourself, Moron.’

Based on his performance here, Sandra’s dialogue changed. After waiting, Sandra finally opened her mouth:

“It has been a long time since I’ve met someone reliable.”

She gave a slightly shy smile.

-Sweet Sandra! Sweet Sandra!

-Sweetdra, you bastard! Get out of Sandra’s body right now!

-Wow… My ears are melting for real.

-Mommy, why am I not purple? Mommy, why am I not purple?

-WTF… This guy is ‘not going to die anytime soon.’

Sandra’s unprecedented reaction caused the chat window to overheat once again.

“It isn’t anything special.”

Lee Kyungbok’s response paralyzed the chat with question marks.

-Fact: It’s nothing special.

-Haha, you know… right?

-Lol, try sounding like Purple.

-??? : Is Sandra cursing? I’ve never heard her swear before?

-LOL There’s a compilation video of all her curses on YouTube.

-Ah, that one. I enjoy listening to it

-Why do you enjoy it? LOL

While the chat was overheating, another cut scene occurred. The setting changed, and John and Sandra stood in front of a massive building.

“Over there.”

“It’s a hotel.”

Sandra and the survivors were staying at a hotel.

“Yes, we have some stored food left, along with beds, and even showers available.”

“But there is a shortage of medicines…”

“Yes, that’s why I came out here.”

As they conversed while moving forward, a faint muffled sound emerged from somewhere nearby. Sandra’s expression changed abruptly. John discreetly hid his body, and she raised her index finger to her lips. He nodded slightly in understanding.

Then, voices could be heard:

“Have there really been sightings of survivors here?”

It was human voices.

John looked suspiciously at Sandra, but she shook her head gravely.

-Finally, something happened!

-Damn zombies…

-I’ve always found humans scarier than zombies.

-Spoiler alert?

-They’ll appear soon anyway.

The viewers seemed to share similar sentiments as Sandra.

“That’s what we’ve been informed.”

“Damn it, all I can see are those disgusting corpses.”

“We need to finish quickly and get out of this hellhole.”

“Tsk, let’s head back first and report.”

The voices receded.

John cautiously peeked outside the car window. They were equipped with protective suits, heavy weapons, and gas masks.

[Lifenest Pharmacy]

A close-up showed the emblem on their shoulder along with the writing beneath it.

Sandra exhaled once the noise subsided.

“That was close.”

“Who were they?”

“They’re security personnel hired by Lifenest Pharm. In reality, though, they’re mercenaries.”

“Mercenaries?”

“You heard them just now, right? Searching for survivors?”

John nodded at Sandra’s explanation.

“They use radios to locate survivors, luring them with promises of safety.”

“But why…?”

“It’s all lies. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They’re eliminating survivors.”

“Eliminating?”

“Yes. This crisis is likely connected to Lifenest somehow, and they’re trying to cover their tracks by killing off witnesses.”

“Lifenest…” As John repeated the name, Sandra bit her lip.

“How did she figure that out? Anyway, we need to inform others about this.”

[Sandra, you’re so pretty! Heh-heh-heh.]

[Her tone changed drastically though, huh? Heh-heh-heh.]

[Why does she sound so gentle now?!]

[Where’s the Sandra who warned us not to mess around like puppies?]

[What happened to her fiery spirit to kill those nasty Lifenest bastards?]

[Ah, heh-heh-heh. She’s just playing nice for Purple’s sake.]

[Hey! Sandra’s still a badass!]

[This is Sandra from Earth 27.]

The chat window was abuzz with disbelief at Sandra’s transformation. Meanwhile, the screen went dark again and shifted to another location.

It’s a hotel.

John and Sandra entered the lobby. Some of those watching greeted her enthusiastically.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Sandra!”

“Who is that guy?”

“Oh my gosh, it’s a police officer!”

“There are still cops around…”

Sandra smiled at their surprise.

“I’ll give you more details after I talk to Logan. Do you know where he is?”

“Oh, he’s in the suite.”

“Gotcha. See you later.”

They headed straight for the suite.

“It’s me, Sandra.”

“Oh! Come in.” A voice responded when she gently knocked on the door. Inside, a man looked up from studying a map as she opened the door.

“I’m relieved to see you back safely!”

“Of course. Oh, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“A new acquaintance?”

“Come in here, John.”

Upon hearing Sandra’s introduction, John entered the room, causing Logan to immediately tense up.

“You’re…”

John also paused momentarily upon seeing Logan because he was dressed as a police officer too.

“This time, you were wrong, Logan. There is still one cop alive.”

It had been Logan who told Sandra that all the police officers were dead.

“Oh, uh…right. That’s great news! Really good!” Logan laughed heartily.

–LOL, LOGAN

–Huh?

–That opponent!

–Are you kidding me? You’re hilarious! LOL

–Do you hear that ticking sound?

–No spoilers, dude!

–Who do they think they are, acting so smug?

-What kind of spoiler is this?

The viewers seemed to know something about Logan from their chat messages. Their responses hinted at some connection with the story, but it was unclear if it constituted spoilers or not.

This character…something feels off.

Meanwhile, Lee Kyungbok had an unpleasant sensation while watching the cut scene. If encountering zombie-like enemies gave him chills akin to goosebumps, Logan’s presence evoked discomfort similar to smelling sewage.

“Thinking back, your face seems familiar. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.” As Logan continued speaking, both Lee Kyungbok and uninformed viewers sensed his true nature.

‘Is this guy not a police officer?’

As if confirming my thoughts:

[Do you want to reveal Logan’s true identity?]

[1. Yes - “Your police uniform is quite different from mine.” (Discover Logan’s wanted poster in your pocket)]

[2. No - ‘He is the leader of survivors. There must be a reason’]

Time stopped as the choices appeared.