Chapter 223
"You really won the tournament. Congratulations, hahaha."
"Thank you."
"With that in mind, I've brought the proper contract."
The game's director had once again visited the café near Seo-jun's home.
Im Kang-san took the contract from his bag and handed it to Seo-jun.
"It should be the same as the one I sent by mail yesterday. Please check it and sign."
"Yes."
After checking the contents, Seo-jun signed both copies of the contract and returned one to Im Kang-san.
The day after the finals, no one streamed because they were having an after-party.
The day after that, everyone told their stories.
Seo-jun wrapped up by chatting with viewers for a post-mortem.
And on the third morning after Rios ended.
Seo-jun had just signed a contract for a 40 million won advertisement.
Though it was thanks to the victory option, the amount alone was on a large corporation level.
"In yesterday's post-mortem stream, the viewership was 70,000, right?"
Im Kang-san sipped his coffee and asked Seo-jun, who was sitting across from him.
"Yes, that's right. Are you hoping I exceed that in today's stream?"
"Haha, no. I think the promotion is already sufficient, don't you? I saw the notice you posted yesterday."
Im Kang-san shook his head as if that wasn't the case.
Seo-jun agreed that the notice yesterday had indeed provided enough promotion.
After the short post-mortem stream, the announcement for the next game had caused the Last Chronicle community to be plastered with talk about Seo-jun.
"Then?"
"I just thought it was amazing that it wouldn't be strange to still call you a rookie. It's not common for a first-year streamer to gather 70,000 viewers."
"Right?"
It's certainly not common.
Seo-jun chuckled, remembering the old days with Tae-woo.
Back when he was in his second year, he asked friends to just pop into his stream to boost the viewer count.
"Still, if you play our game, your viewer count might drop significantly."
"Ah."
Seo-jun noticed the gloom on Im Kang-san's face.
He was worried that Seo-jun might not play the game all the way to the Four Heavenly Kings raid because of viewer drop-off.
Maybe he was even thinking he should have offered more money to switch to a sponsored stream until then.
Or perhaps he was rationalizing that the promotion since yesterday had already been enough and it was fine.
Either way.
"Don't worry. I'm not the type to be swayed by viewers."
"What do you mean?"
"As long as the game is fun, I'll keep playing."
Seo-jun knew very well that his current viewer numbers were inflated.
Sure, maybe they weren't exactly a bubble after "For the Sake of Hyeop," but this game was definitely less popular, unlike his previous choices that usually had a larger player base.
It couldn't be helped; the most popular game was The League, so no matter what other game he chose, there would be no increase in new viewers.
"If it's as long as the game is fun... Understood. I'll enjoy watching then."
"Yes."
"By the way, Seo-jun?"
"Yes?"
"Have you decided which server you'll play on?"
Server?
At first, Seo-jun didn't realize what server he meant.
But soon he realized it was about the game server.
And puzzled why he was suddenly asking, he asked back.
"Why?"
"I checked the community on my way here, and that's what viewers are most curious about."
"Oh, really?"
Ah.
Was that what Han Ji-min told me to check earlier?
* * *
[You have to tell us the server! Do it first, you streamer!]
==
Ugh, streamer, seriously! Where the hell do we go!
==
-For real lol
-Shows you've never played an RPG!!!!
-No but lol if it was like this, if you had just told us during the Rios post-mortem, we would have asked in advance!
[Jin Seo-jun's notice comment section]
==
(Photo of comments mostly asking which server)
You still haven't answered? Wow, how tenacious.
Honestly, at this point, shouldn't you check your own notice even if you don't watch the broadcast?
Does the editor not work? lol
==
-Server! Hand it over! So we can level in advance!
-Streamer, we're coming! But it's still not decided yet
-Where must we go
After signing the contract, Seo-jun returned home, sat in front of the computer, and laughed while reading the community posts.
"Was this such a big deal?"
"Of course, you jerk."
Tae-woo, standing behind Seo-jun's chair, swung his arm aiming for the back of Seo-jun's head.
"Why?"
And Seo-jun expressionlessly ducked his head to dodge.
"Ugh. Hey! Just let me hit you once! This is like one of those martial arts stories! Do you have eyes in the back of your head? Huh?"
"Martial arts stories my ass. Just explain quickly."
"Fine. First, to explain what an MMORPG is, you could say it's the first metaverse."
"Metaverse?"
"Yeah. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's the first since I haven't studied game history, but I can guarantee it's a metaverse."
"Is a metaverse about interacting with people in a virtual world that's not reality?"
"Something like that. So the server is important."
"Because you can't interact if you're on different servers?"
"Right. But from what I found out, Last Chronicle has cross-server integration for key features like the auction house and raids, so no matter what you choose, gameplay isn't affected."
Since when did he look into that.
Seo-jun nodded with a hint of curiosity.
"I see why it's important."
"Yeah?"
"What you said about gameplay not being affected only applies to regular players. The viewers following me aren't looking for that kind of content."
"Oh! Exactly! Those viewers want to meet you in the field and do something, so the server is a very important issue. Guilds can only be made within a server, and territory content visits in RPGs require being on the same server."
So it's a matter of interaction.
"But aren't there private channels? In Last Chronicle?"
Seo-jun asked with a smile, recalling how in "For the Sake of Hyeop" he would escape to private channels when things got too crowded.
"Apparently not. I dunno why."
"Got it. Thanks. Then I need to think about where to go."
"It's already intense. Look at that post."
[Please come to Server 1. Please come to Server 1. Please come to Server 1. Please come to Server 1. Please come to Server 1. Please come to Server 1.]
==
I already have 6 fully leveled characters...... Please come to Server 1.
Our server 'Lunaon' is warm.
==
-Hey Sword God! Come to the great Server 1 Lunaon!
└Lunaon is recognized as the great Server 1~
-??? That's crossing the line? Why is Lunaon Server 1?
└For real, isn't Server 1 Solane?
└Solane is recognized as Server 1
└??? These bastards lol Lunaon is at the top of the server list so obviously it's Server 1
└Solane has more people, goodbye lol
└If the difference is only about 2,000, shouldn't you not go by numbers? Just Lunaon is Server 1
"Hmm..."
"Where are you going?"
There were two servers in Last Chronicle, and those two servers were fighting.
Over which one was the true Server 1.
"Does being Server 1 mean anything?"
"Nah. It's just... pride, I guess. Really, it has nothing to do with character stats or story. The population looks similar, so it's pure pride. But."
"But?"
"Server 1 is still an important issue."
Because Tae-woo said it seriously, Seo-jun let it go with a "I see" and started thinking.
If the populations are similar, which is better?
Maybe the one with more streamers?
But since raids are cross-server, that's not a big deal.
Looking at the posts, the number of streamers seemed similar too.
"Seo-jun. Does it seem like it doesn't really matter where you go?"
"Looks like it."
Seo-jun scrolled down.
Everyone was begging him to come to Server 1.
But the Server 1 they referred to was different.
"The fact that Server 1 isn't decided itself means the two are evenly matched, right?"
Tae-woo agreed.
"Probably?"
"Then, you know."
"What."
"Won't it turn out like this post says?"
"Hmm? Oh. It really might?"
[Listen up. Right now, a million Kael-fanatics are waiting. So wherever the Sword God goes becomes Server 1. Got it?]
==
Got it?
==
-I acknowledge
-Kamen.....
└Kamen? Sounds like a raid boss name?
└It's a neologism combining Kael + Amen!
-But for real, wherever the streamer goes will probably become Server 1?
-Please come to Solane! Please!
-Will it become the first branch of the Heavenly Demon Cult!
[If existing players who already made characters get pissed thinking they might not see the Sword God, hit like lol]
==
Yeah, I'm a newbie!
As long as it's not me!
==
-Wow these guys have been spamming Sword God talk all day since yesterday
└They're non-gamers causing trouble
└What's that?
└Troublemakers who don't play the game
└How dare you label newbies as non-gamer troublemakers? (post author)
└Seriously, how many new players could you possibly bring lol just making noise in the community
└What server are you on? (post author)
└Solane, dumbass
└So it's the demon realm? (post author)
└Please stop server bashing ㅠㅠ
└But there are a lot of incidents happening? (post author)
└With more people, there are more idiots!
└Even so, the population isn't that different from Lunaon? (post author)
└......Stop with the facts, you bastard
└Definitely the demon realm (post author)
"I've decided."
"What? Where?"
"I'm going to Lunaon."
After reading the post, Seo-jun thought it'd be better to go to a place with fewer toxic players, regardless of population or streamer count, and decided on the server.
He figured that the toxic people following him alone would be overwhelming enough.
"Oh? Today?"
"Yeah."
"Then should I play too?"
"Do whatever."
"What's with that attitude? I, this great person, am offering to join you."
"You're noisy."
"By the way, when is the capsule arriving?"
"It's not coming."
"Why?"
"I decided to keep using the one I have. Not getting a new one."
"Why? This is a chance to get a new one!"
"Shut up."
-You really can switch. The capsule we lent you can just be used in the lab, so it's no problem.
-It's fine.
-Is it because...?
-Huh?
-No, it can't be because installing it is a hassle. We made it so even an elementary schooler can install it with just a bit of strength.
-......?!
-So what's the reason?
-......
-Hm?
"I just want to keep using the capsule I first streamed on."
Although he wasn't the type to get attached to objects or assign meaning, this time felt a little different.
It was absolutely not because installation was difficult and annoying.
Really.
Nor was he shocked to hear that even an elementary schooler could easily install it.
Really.
"Hmph. I see. Anyway, set it to Lunaon. I'm off today so I won't be playing anyway."
"Got it, now get out."
After kicking Tae-woo out, Seo-jun browsed the community a bit more.
[Sword God <-- How amazing must he be, if you're a live broadcast watcher today, hit like lol]
==
Of course, I'm a streamer fan
==
-I haven't made a character either and am waiting for the Sword God, but anyway I'll watch today to see how amazing he is!
-For real lol
-No but seriously guys spamming praise all day, how amazing can he be lol
└When their hype dies down, that streamer will get a backlash
└Yeah, then we just feed him five Judgment Swords~
└What the hell is Judgment Sword. Just wait till he's nothing special, for real lol
└For real lol all that fuss will come back as karma
-If he's really nothing special and they spammed, then he better be prepared lol
└The streamer didn't do it though?
└Please let's fight with incitement and fabrication instead of facts!!
└Ah anyway be prepared lol, even I, a hardcore RPG nut, will watch the stream lol
Because he thought there could be backlash.
Wasn't it too much spamming?
But looked at the other way, it was good evidence that interest was being maintained that much.
For another streamer, starting off in such a situation might be burdensome.
"Consistent."
The self-proclaimed greatest toxic troublemaker streamer of Treebell dismissed the situation with a single word.
Because to him, it was truly everyday life.
Without quite realizing that he was a little different from others, Seo-jun began writing the stream title.
[Starting stream.]
[Newbie playing a virtual reality RPG for the first time. Anyone want to give tips?]