Chapter 28

Was it because the first stream was more successful than I’d expected?

During that day’s stream, even I couldn’t contain my excitement and got a little too carried away.

I’d sing a song when I was in a good mood, and sometimes I’d read the chat carefully and give them the reactions they wanted.

-Wow! Seo Dami is so good at the grand bow!

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Is this a circus?

-Feels like I should be paying to watch this lol

-Lower your tension! I’m saying this because I’m worried!

-It’s fun, what’s the problem? Let’s just let her be~.

Around this time, the person in my head would just occasionally tremble as if electrocuted, without saying a word.

“Well then, shall we move on to a light Solo Rank stream?”

-Solo Rank sounds good.

-I heard you can’t play in the top ranks these days because there are too many pros.

-General Seo should be able to handle it, right?

-Still, she probably can’t beat the male players.

My goal was to enter the Legendary Rank.

Looking at the atmosphere in the chat, the overwhelming majority believed I couldn’t do it.

The top 500 players in Korea, China, and Japan.

Just counting the male and female players in the First Division League would fill a significant portion of those 500 spots.

Of course, I brought it up knowing the viewers would react this way.

That was the only way to move on to the next part of the conversation.

“So, what do you all think about me taking on the year-end Legendary Challenge?”

-Aren’t you Master tier?

-How are you going to get from Master to Legendary in December?

-She’s just saying that because she wants to stream with us for a long time. Can’t you take a hint?

-Ah… I didn’t realize her grand plan;;

-Well, it’s good for us if we see her often.

This year’s Rank Game season ended at the end of December.

The viewers, who thought it was absolutely impossible, readily put up Mission Donations.

This system meant I couldn’t take the Mission Donation money until I achieved the goal, and if I failed, it would automatically return to the viewers’ pockets.

Could Seo Dami hit Legendary by the day the season ends, or not?

With a series of jangling sounds, the donation money began to pile up at a rapid pace.

An endless stream of 100 Won and 1,000 Won donations.

I couldn’t dismiss them just because they were small amounts.

They piled up, and in an instant, the donation total surpassed 100,000 Won.

“Ah! Lemon, what is this!!!”

It was then.

That I shouted a viewer’s name at the top of my lungs.

-Take this if you reach Legendary.

-Woah ㄷㄷㄷ

-The firepower is insane from the start.

-How much was that donation? 500?

-Not 500 Won, 5 million Won…?

-Are they just betting big because they think she can’t do it anyway?

The appearance of a big spender.

A viewer with the nickname Lemon had put up a Mission Donation of a whopping 5 million Won.

Excited, I jumped up and down on the spot, then bowed my head in thanks.

The viewers’ reactions grew heated in response.

It was money I couldn’t take if I didn’t achieve the goal, but the fact that one person had bet such a large sum of 5 million Won was proof that the stream was going extremely well.

Although the chances of success were low, the donation money was tied up until the mission deadline, and if by some chance I succeeded, the money would go straight to the streamer.

Spurred on by the large donation, the atmosphere caught fire, and I clapped my hands as if I had made up my mind, gathering the viewers’ attention.

“I’ve made my decision!”

-What decision?

-I hope it’s not something weird…

-You better not say something stupid just because you’re riding the high?

The fans were worried I’d lose control of my excitement and make a slip of the tongue, but what I was about to say was part of the plan I had set from the beginning.

“Thanks to your overwhelming interest, quite a bit of donation money has already piled up. I, Seo Dami, will donate all of this money to the development of aspiring young players if I complete the mission.”

-A donation?

-All of it?

-She’s just saying whatever since she thinks she won’t succeed…

“Also! Many people have donated to the stream outside of the mission, and I plan to donate all of that money as well.”

The viewers stirred at my declaration that I would donate all my profits from December while conducting the mission stream.

It was certainly something to be surprised about.

Seeing the momentum of the donations coming in, it was clear that I could easily make over ten million Won in December just by streaming a lot.

But to donate all that money?

It was understandable for them to think I was giving up too much just to build up my image.

Amidst that atmosphere, I continued with my prepared lines.

“The Universe Arena Association has a system to officially support students before their debut.”

Universe Arena, aiming to become the second global gaming phenomenon.

To this end, the UA Association was investing a considerable amount of money in expanding the base of elementary, middle, and high school leagues in each country.

The idea was that in addition to investing in the pro scene, a foundation for a steady stream of prospects had to be laid to create more stars.

Moreover, for young children who were preparing for an early pro debut with pro gaming as their career, a surprising amount of money was needed.

The cheapest option was to entrust the child to a Debut Class Academy, and some parents who were truly overflowing with money would hire a skilled coach for private lessons.

However, even the cheapest option, the academy, was often a significant burden for an average family.

This was because the more pro players a prestigious academy produced, the more expensive the tuition was.

So what kind of problem does this create?

There could be cases where a young friend has talent but can’t receive proper early education due to difficult family circumstances.

For the UA Association, which wanted the market to expand with star players at the forefront, this was a very unfortunate situation.

That’s why the association itself took the lead in creating a system to actively support prospects.

So that young, aspiring players wouldn’t lose hope because of money.

When I said I wanted to share all the profits with the young children, a wave of applause flooded the chat.

-Woah.

-Look at Da-dami’s character.

-This is my first time seeing this kid, but she’s cool.

-To think a player who’s only eighteen is this thoughtful.

-It’s not much, but I’ll add a little something.

-Did General Seo perhaps benefit from the association’s support?

No.

Dami’s family is rich, so she didn’t need any support.

The reason I planned the donation was none other than to dilute, even a little, the high annual salary frame that had been placed on Seo Dami.

Isn’t Seo Dami a kid who lacks skill but landed a huge contract thanks to her fame?

Even if half of it is in options, she’s still getting 700 million?

Public opinion surrounding me was not very good, with people saying that if I kept muddying the market like this, it could cause problems for other players’ contracts.

It was true that my recognition was quite high, but the majority of those gazes were far from friendly.

Seo Dami? You’re that famous? You make that much money?

Then we’ll be watching. To see just how good you are.

I was on a test bed right now.

Once the league started, a cold verification would begin.

To see if Seo Dami was a player who deserved such wealth and fame.

The vast majority of those people were not Super Sylph fans and were ready to spew harsh words at me at any moment.

An ordinary player would have felt severe pressure in this situation.

Because they would be torn to shreds without mercy for the slightest mistake.

There were very few players who would enjoy a situation where they were surrounded by countless unfriendly gazes.

‘But I’m different.’

As I saw it, this was an opportunity.

An opportunity that only the prepared can seize!

If I could just overcome this crisis smoothly, I could capture all those numerous haters at once and turn them into fans.

People who were once fans and turned away are the scariest, and those who were haters and became fans are bound to love the player the most.

Mentioning the donation plan was part of the groundwork for that.

A process to soften, even a little, the hearts of the viewers who were watching me with their arms crossed.

It was definitely effective.

I could feel in real-time that the atmosphere in the chat had become a bit more amicable.

It seemed like the pace of donations had picked up even more, as if riding the flow.

There was only one thing I had to do now.

To definitely achieve this difficult mission.

Few people thought I would achieve it in the first place, which is why so many mission donations had piled up, but if I were to succeed.

A superstar who dominates the league.

I would surely be able to get closer to that grand goal that Dami and I shared.

-You’re leaving already?

-Play a little more before you go!

-So stingy.

-How are you going to complete the mission at this rate?

-Yeah. Just a little more.

Even as midnight approached, the viewers hardly left.

The number one aggro-drawer in Universe Arena recently.

Seo Dami’s Solo Rank stream!

A significant number of the viewers were people who had never seen my matches, and those who saw my performance for the first time on today’s stream all said the same thing.

She’s better than I thought?

So this was the level of the second division.

The kid’s pretty and skilled too.

Wanna join our team next year?

The largest population of UA viewers was, of course, in the First Division League.

The proportion of viewers watching the second or third divisions didn’t even reach half of half of the first division’s, even when combined.

This was the reason why today’s stream, despite being the first, was able to record tens of thousands of viewers.

Because First Division League viewers, who had only read about Seo Dami in articles, came in to see what kind of person she was.

And I had succeeded, for now, in making them stay for a long time.

Whether it was out of curiosity or because they came in to diss me good, the fact that I had retained the viewers was a very positive sign for the race ahead.

“It’s already late. I have morning training tomorrow, and like all the other teams, we have both morning and afternoon training.”

Morning training starts at ten.

I could have continued the stream a little longer if I squeezed out some more time, but I judged it was best to wrap it up here.

‘The standard is to end it right when they’re feeling a little disappointed.’

Indeed, the viewers asked if I was coming tomorrow and asked for my schedule.

The people showing this much interest were probably Super Sylph fans, or my fans.

I smiled brightly and replied.

“Of course! I’m already looking forward to seeing you all again tomorrow!”

-Look at that line.

-Dami’s aegyo is making me melt…

-You prepared this beforehand, right?

-Dami wasn’t like this before, but she’s suddenly become a total fox.

-fr lol

-But it’s nice, isn’t it?

-A hundred times better to watch than when she was depressed lol

-She was always like this, it’s just that fckingniverse Cat was her shackles…

-Oops!

In any case, compliments that my recent self was very nice to see continued to pour in.

I grinned at those reactions and said.

“Thank you all for watching my lacking first stream. Dami will be back tomorrow! Bye!”

–cya tmrw

–cya tmrw

Amidst the goodbyes, the first stream ended in great success.

“Hoo. This isn’t easy.”

I thought I’d kept it short, but the stream had gone on for well over two hours.

No wonder I felt drained.

Instead of being my usual easygoing self, Han Youngin, I had to bring out a cheerful and energetic character using Seo Dami’s visuals as a weapon, which consumed more energy than I thought.

I took a breath and looked for Seo Dami, who had been silent for a while.

‘Dami? Are you sleeping? Hey?’

<……>

‘Why are you sulking again? The fans liked it. Let’s think positively. Today’s stream was a total hit, I’m telling you.’

<Take responsibility.>

‘Responsibility for what…’

Dami spoke.

She said that if Oppa left, she didn’t think she could maintain her current self at all.

She said she was worried her fans would be disappointed.

<What if I can’t talk or laugh like I used to without you, Oppa? The fans will say I’ve changed again, that I’m not fun, and they’ll leave…>

Dami’s argument was that her current popularity was a fantasy created by Han Youngin.

‘No, Dami. How can you say something so weak already! We decided to become superstars. If you can’t talk, you just have to try to be entertaining! Are you going to drain your Oppa’s energy like this?’

<No.>

‘You’re going to work hard, right? Even without me?’

<……>

In the end, Dami couldn’t say that she would work hard even when I wasn’t there.

Instead, she said this.

<…If you stay by my side, Oppa, I’ll try to work hard.>

‘Try saying that after you learn to open your eyes in the shower.’

<I can open my eyes.>

‘Really?’

<I open my eyes when I shower after training anyway.>

‘Ahem.’

I couldn’t let her call me a fool who can’t even open his eyes in the shower, could I?

So, for a while now, I’ve been not closing my eyes when we all shower together after training, as long as I don’t turn my eyes elsewhere.

‘Right. Thanks for your permission…’

For Dami, that must have been a big concession.

It could also be interpreted as her being that worried about being left alone when I disappear.

‘It’s late, so let’s sleep. We have to sleep early to work hard tomorrow too.’

<Yes.>

Just as I was about to lay out the covers and lie down, there was a knock, accompanied by a thump thump thump sound.

At this hour?

Wondering who it was, I opened the door to find Jung Yunseul stamping her feet.

“Unni! What was that stream!”

She exclaimed, looking completely excited.

She was going to wake everyone else up.

I told her to lower her voice and let her into the room first.

“How did you know?”

“I mean, you wrote about it on the team forum. Isn’t it weirder to think I wouldn’t know?”

Then the other teammates must have seen it too.

I figured the reason only Yunseul came was probably because it was late.

“Why are you still awake?”

“I was watching the stream. I even donated.”

“What?”

Why would you donate!

Jung Yunseul proudly puffed out her chest and said she donated ten thousand Won.

“The cause is good. Unni, did you know I became a pro with support from the association?”

“Of course I didn’t know that.”

“If it weren’t for that support fund, I might not have become a pro. Or even if I did, I might have joined a third division team after turning twenty.”

There was bound to be a difference in the growth potential between kids who receive professional training at a young age and kids who play games as a hobby.

With Yunseul’s talent, I thought she would have debuted for sure, but as she said, without the association’s support, she wouldn’t have been picked for a pro second division team as soon as she turned seventeen like she was now.

“Anyway, I really enjoyed the stream. You didn’t play many matches, but you won all your rank games!”

“After all the hard training we’ve been doing, do you think it’s okay to lose in the Master section?”

Thanks to playing a lot of Team Rank matches after coming to Super Sylph, my current rank tier was stuck at Master.

This was because Team Rank and Solo Rank ratings interact to some extent.

Master tier.

An endlessly high tier for the average person, but it had to be considered the lower bracket by the standards of all pro players.

“You’re streaming tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t you let me join too?”

“Together?”

“There’s not much time left until the end of December. About 3 weeks? You’ll have to keep up a win streak on a really tight schedule, so it’ll be better if we duo, right?”

“Hmm.”

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

If I duoed with Yunseul on the way to Legendary, the probability of failing the mission would likely be higher.

Of course, Yunseul was offering because she wanted to help me, but honestly, with her skills, I didn’t think she could beat the demons in the highest section of Grandmaster, who were commonly called the gatekeepers to Legendary.

A good number of these demons were veteran users who had given up their pro dreams due to unavoidable circumstances.

They were genuine users who had delved into UA for as short as 5 years, or as long as nearly 10 years.

On top of that, a large number of retired pro players were mixed in, so if I did the mission with her until the end, the mission difficulty would likely double.

‘But she’s looking at me with such sparkling eyes…’

Seeing the kid expressing ‘I really want to do it with you’ with her whole body, I nodded my head.

At that, she clung to me, shouting, “Unni, you’re the best!”

She came to my room every morning to ask if I slept well; even real sisters probably weren’t this close.

“Looking at you, Unni, is like seeing Youngin Oppa.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Your gun is the same, for starters. Your movements and patterns seem very similar too? I tried to use the ALR and practiced several times, but it didn’t work out well.”

‘Of course it wouldn’t.’

The Arclight Rifle.

A weapon that used a 10-round magazine, with a sustained firepower too short to be called a rifle.

This gun, which secured its power with strong recoil and a small magazine, was used by very few players worldwide.

It was no exaggeration to say that I was practically the only one in the country who handled this thing properly.

It was an item that only showed its true power when strong muscular strength, agility, and precise damage distribution came together.

That’s why it had the feel of being player ‘Han Youngin’s’ signature weapon, but the problem was that Jung Yunseul’s muscular strength was too weak to handle it.

Dami was different.

Her original position was Defender, and she had been consistently doing strength training with dumbbells even before she met me.

No matter how much I was in control for her now, without these processes, she wouldn’t have been able to fully utilize the weapon’s performance.

I advised Yunseul that if she really wanted to handle the ALR, she would have to diligently build up her muscular strength for about a year, as if she were training as a Defender.

“Okay.”

“But what are you doing?”

“We should sleep. It’s late.”

“No, I know that, but why are you lying down here?”

“Aing.”

A king-sized bed, too big for one person to sleep in alone.

Yunseuli burrowed into a corner of the bed and quickly pulled the covers over herself.

“I have to come back here in the morning anyway. I was hoping you’d let me sleep here tonight!”

“······?”

Are girls usually like this?

If it were Magnus, I would’ve kicked the dickhead out immediately, saying I have no hobby of sleeping with guys, but she said it so naturally that I got a little confused.

When I asked Dami for her opinion on this, the response came back that it wasn’t even worth considering and I should send her away.

“Go and sleep in your room. No.”

“So mean!”

“If you don’t go back right now, I won’t stream with you.”

“Good night, Unni. Have a peaceful night, and see you tomorrow.”

As if satisfied with achieving her initial goal, Jung Yunseul bowed her head and quickly closed the door on her way out.

“Hoo.”

It felt like a storm had just passed.

I turned off the lights and flopped onto the bed.

<Then, Oppa. Good night.>

‘Right. You sleep well too.’

Raising Seo Dami’s recognition.

And so, day one of the broadcast for the plan to drive out the villain Coach came to an end.

“What was that! Yesterday’s stream!”

“What was that! Explain yourself!”

“Let’s just eat. Let us eat.”

Morning mealtime.

Hwang Jua and Kim Dain, flanking me on my left and right, chirped like penguins, demanding an explanation for yesterday’s stream.

Even our Leader, though she didn’t say anything, was staring at me with sparkling eyes that screamed, ‘Explain!’

Now, it wasn’t just the fans, but everyone on the team staff as well.

It seemed there was no one left who didn’t know I had started streaming.