An Unexpected Proposal (1)
Lee Gyeongbok was happy.
One side of his field of vision was occupied by the chat window.
― Can you sense the difference of 'Perfect' now?
― He's not Yami, just not like Yami!
― Ah lol isn't this like the difference between a low-rank ninja and the Hokage? lol
― This is what we call a backdoor in the Perfect-type play.
― Backdoor (pentakill)
He couldn't help but smile at the viewers' excited banter.
― It wasn't the team that won, it was 'Purple' who claid victory.
― What are you looking at, guys.
― But when did these guys run away?
― Those sneaky guys ran away imdiately, right?
― They ran off so dirty and disgracefully lol
― Dirty-run lololol
Because of one viewer's comnt, everyone's attention shifted back to the teammates. They had exited the ga in a hurry without even a word of apology as soon as it ended.
― That's why all they do is politicking.
― Yeah lol they just talk trash because they have no skills.
― All their nicknas have been exposed lol
― Delete yourself, rookie.
The mockery from viewers continued.
Lee Gyeongbok felt similarly, but knew things could get overheated if he just left it alone.
"Hey, don't be so harsh, please. Thanks to them holding out during the team fight, I was able to pull off the backdoor."
― Are you actually covering for them?
― But honestly, Purple burned through the Temple faster than all five opponents lol
― Lighting up the room...!
― Do you even have a personality?
― Nope, he ant they did a good job as at shields.
― Ah lol all the newbies just don't get it
― The teammates just got a taste of that Blackhole company Purple.
― Oh, didn't know that lol
The chat split into those admiring his words and those who wanted to tease him even more.
Of course, there were more in the latter group.
Riding along with the mood, Lee Gyeongbok threw in another comnt.
"In the end, doesn't it only matter that we won?"
― Can't argue with that.
― Ah lol winning is what matters.
― Now it makes sense why the Purple channel is thriving.
― Editor-nim ㅠ
― If you need help, put a carrot in the next video!
It was in that kind of heartwarming mont.
['Agent Q' has donated 10,000 won.]
[There must be a ga you can't play well, right......?]
The sudden donation drew everyone's attention. Lee Gyeongbok hadn't set this up.
It was obvious Choi Byeonghun thought it was the perfect timing for a donation to co in.
"Ah, qdari-nim. Thank you for the donation. A ga that I can't play... well, not yet, I guess."
― Lol Qdari strikes again lol
― Hiding your skills like it's as natural as breathing?
― To be fair, it's true so nobody can refute it lol
― If Purple can't do it, then nobody else can, right?
― Yup, agreed.
The viewers instantly reacted, and Lee Gyeongbok waved his hands, laughing.
"No, you have to listen until the end. There are just more gas I haven't played yet, that's all."
['MysticdorUwin' has donated 10,000 won.]
[???: You haven't played them, but we already know what would happen.]
['PerfectSoknae' has donated 5,000 won.]
[???: There are plenty you haven't played because they're boring.]
['VoiceOfConscience' has donated 20,000 won.]
[???: You haven't played them because the overall quality of the gas was low.]
As a torrent of donations followed, the chat was flooded with "lol".
― So that's what it is.
― Are you a tabloid journalist or what? lol
― Lol the level of distortion is a black hole
-???: Will only play it if there's a Purple difficulty level.
― If you want to joke, at least pay for it!
― Info) doggum is updating to lower difficulty because of Purple.
And why does this feel like it's actually true?
The chat got even more lively as the viewers seized the mont to tease him.
While thanking everyone for the steady stream of donations, Lee Gyeongbok checked the ti.
'Already this late?'
More ti had passed than he expected.
Especially since, in this ga, he'd been preparing for a solo backdoor while his teammates stretched the match out to keep their kill-death ratios up, so the playti ran long.
'Even so, there are still nearly over 2,000 people...'
A natural smile spread across Lee Gyeongbok's face.
He was happy that his stream had broken past 3,000 viewers with people coming over from Geno's broadcast, but what touched him more was that, this late, more than 2,000 people were still with him.
As the donations finally slowed, he clapped his hands lightly.
"All right, it's gotten pretty late. I'm sure you all have things to do. Thank you for staying with until now."
-????
― But it's not late, is it?
― Ti is relative, don't you know?!
― Ah lol the late-night crowd is just getting started!
― I don't even have a job!
― How am I supposed to watch other streams after seeing this play? You're responsible!
The viewers imdiately sensed what he was about to do and reacted. But, those were mainly the hopes of new viewers.
― Newbies, it's your first ti seeing a 'Perfect' end of stream?
― Hey, don't butt in. You'll get cut.
― Purple's sense for ending a stream is world-class!
― Even the way he ends a stream is perfect...!
― I'll miss this (cry emoji) (cry emoji)
― Trba! Purba! Qba!
The veterans had already accepted it and waited for Lee Gyeongbok's farewell. Smiling cheerfully, Lee Gyeongbok spoke.
"See you again in the next broadcast. Trba!"
* * *
Mystic League was such a popular ga that it had dedicated boards on multiple community sites.
'MP. GG.'
This was the na of the biggest community.
'MP. GG' wasn't just any community site. It provided player record checking for Mystic League, and also let people recruit teammates for everything from duo play all the way to 5-man queues.
Because of that, 'MP. GG' was famous as the place that never slept, with users always hanging out no matter how late it got.
And right now, that community was ablaze over one particular strear.
None other than—
[Today's Geno Defeat Video.avi]
The self-proclaid physical strear, geno.
He had risen to popularity through long years of streaming, but as much as he was loved, he suffered from trolling and stream sniping.
After all, there were plenty who envied his success over the course of his long streaming career.
So, when soone heard that Geno had lost, they imdiately uploaded a video.
[-Serves Geno right lolol]
[-Isn't his reputation all inflated anyway?]
[-Lol shortest reign ever]
It was as if they'd coordinated to hit the rec button and mock him. But Geno had a fanbase just as devoted as his antis.
[-Here the haters go again, lol]
[-Like any of you could even speak up if you t him in ga.]
[-Even can't stream snipe properly but act tough lolol]
Since the intent of the post was obvious, his fans hit the dislike right away. The debate was neck-and-neck, raising the post to the top of the popularity rankings.
[-Geno's not that impressive that you'd gush over him.]
[That's why he turned down the invitation, knowing his own level.]
[You guys never listen even when he explains.]
[He said multiple tis he does variety gas.]
[-It's funny seeing you gloat over one loss.]
[Only real fans are like this]
[None of you are confident enough to stream snipe, right?]
[Just clueless bronze and iron scrubs cheering him on, lol]
[Wanna go lane against if you're so cocky?]
The comnts devolved into a total mudslinging match. Though the two sides clashed fiercely, there was one thing they agreed on.
[-The guy who beat Geno, who is he?]
[Video shows he was insane lol]
[Perfect Play? Lives up to the na.]
[Honestly, only lost because the opponent was that skilled.]
The player who'd beaten Geno, 'Perfect Play', was the real deal.
[-Dude, not even another champion, but did it with Yami lol]
[To beat Geno with Yami, that's nuts, right?]
[Geno's actual skill level exposed, huh?]
[No, he's just crazy good.]
[If you can ult with Yami, you have so real skill.]
[I've never even seen a Yami ult in a real ga till now.]
And not just with any champion, but a troll champion, the infamous 'Yami'. There wasn't a single community user who didn't know about Yami.
But the surprise didn't end there.
[-Hey lol did anyone look up this guy's match history?]
[Haven't yet, hurry up and tell us!]
[Ping-ponger talking crap lol]
[How hard can it be to look it up, lol]
[Even I haven't looked it up, so bet no one else has.]
[(Original poster) This was his second match.]
[What are you talking about?]
[What's with this outco?]
How much had the player who defeated Geno played the ga?
Unable to contain their curiosity, so started checking 'Perfect Play's records.
But the mystery only deepened.
[-Look, I don't like Geno either, but how do you lose to a newbie with only two matches?]
[If you have a gun to your head, maybe.]
[You'd lose at anything then.]
[Apparently, he's a fellow strear?]
[A Mystic strear but only played two gas?]
[No, he's just a variety strear. There's a Bark video on Q-tube.]
[What's a Bark, you degenerate?]
[Fine, here's a link.]
Neither fans nor antis who hadn't watched the stream could understand what was going on, so attention toward the strear 'Purple' continued to build.
As things settled for a mont, a new post appeared.
[Geno apologized!]
[Thought Geno was all about acting nice, but he slipped up eventually lol
He talked trash about the opponent strear for picking Yami right before the ga started
Then got wrecked hard
Tried to gang up with his team to bully 1v1 but got utterly destroyed by the ult
After losing that shafully, he realized it and imdiately apologized after the match lol
Did sothing wrong but went straight into doing advertisent afterward lol
Wants to maintain his image but still needs to make money lol
Complete chaos!]
It was a clip of Geno apologizing to Purple imdiately after their match.
[-Knew it lol]
[What's the big deal? He apologized, right?]
[Is it over if you apologize even if the other side didn't accept?]
[ssed up personality;;;]
[-Demon editing, what? He said he'd apologize again after the ad break?]
[Not even the full video, just a short clip lol]
[No, after the ad, he just ended the stream.]
[Purple ended the stream first, anyway]
[I don't like Geno either, but this is pretty petty.]
The post turned into a battleground between fans and antis. But as more details ca out, people grew curious again.
[-I saw him win the 1v1, but you say he won a 1v5?]
[He won 5v1 with Yami?]
[Not just barely winning either, it was a pentakill lolol]
[Is this the sa 'delicious Yami'?]
[What's actually true here... damn]
[Today too, instant myth takes one more win.]
[So frustrating, I'll just watch it myself.]
Then, in the midst of this chaos, soone provided a solution.
[Purple, this guy is the real deal.]
[First, just watch the video.
〈Yami Temple Backdoor Pentakill Highlight〉
Damn, even the title just lts your brain
It's like calling a shop '60-year-old Traditional BC Polish Blood Sausage Specialty.'
Totally incompatible terms, right?
But no joke, just watch it
This wasn't the match against Geno—it was the very next one.
But as soon as Purple picked Yami, his teammates lost it lol
He just endured it, but they baby themselves to protect their MMR?
Fine, I could accept it up to that, but even when it was totally safe, they wouldn't help
You could see it's out of spite for picking a troll champ.
It would've been better if they just rage-quit instead, but Purple just kept playing.
He fard silently and then, as late king, backdoored lolol
You'll see if you watch, but his physical is actually divine-rank level.
If he brushes past you, you die, but he just never gets touched.
With a hyper-damage build, he lts the towers and instantly kills even champions who are supposed to recall safely.
Pentakilled them instantly, burned down the Temple, gg.
With this kind of skill, even Geno's grandfather couldn't win.]
It was the video Choi Byeonghun had edited with top priority and uploaded to Q-tube.
Community users who'd already been suspicious about the strear 'Purple' gathered at the post one by one.
And they too realized.
[-Damn lol this is legit]
[-Wow... damn, what even...]
[-Geno actually 1v1'd this guy?]
[-Makes Geno look even better for holding out.]
[-Are these even humans?]
[-Thought he was just boastful, but he really lives up to the na lol]
[-All you can do is be amazed.]
Most of them were antis jealous of Geno, but only a rare few envied Purple.
When the skill gap is too great, it inspires not jealousy, but awe.
Because everyone had experienced Mystic League and knew exactly how hard what Purple showed truly was.
[-What were the teammates even doing?]
[-Yeah lol this level of skill and they ostracized him?]
[-Platinum level my ass lol]
[-What are those noobs even watching with their eyes lol]
[-If any of those guys are on your team, you have to dodge]
[-Truly a gathering of idiots lol]
As a result, the teammates who had ostracized Lee Gyeongbok were burned into the mories of the community users.
In a very bad way.
* * *
The next day, early afternoon.
Lee Gyeongbok and his friends gathered at their usual café.
"So, how is it? The video's getting a pretty good response, right?"
Despite the dark circles under his eyes, Choi Byeonghun wore a triumphant grin.
Lee Gyeongbok let out a snort as he checked the comnts on the video he'd uploaded.
[-Does this even make sense? Didn't he just create a montage with character assets?]
[But even if you do, that's still impressive]
[For real lol King, you can see all the highlights]
[How have you not hit follow yet?]
[-Even recruiting a ninja couldn't top this lol]
[Bring on a real ninja, lmao]
[-Ah lol, suddenly so many troll picks at dawn.]
[I watched this and tried it myself lol]
[Gave up in training mode after attempting the seals]
[Felt like I was in Leaf Village, lol]
The comnts on Q-tube were full of amazent and praise.
"It's really taken off on the community boards. Subscriber growth is surging again."
At Park Juho's words, Lee Gyeongbok glanced at the display.
[Perfect Play]
[169,000 subscribers]
After the Bio Crisis guides cooled off, his subscriber count was rising again.
Because of that, Lee Gyeongbok was practically beaming. Park Juho, seeing his friend like that, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"And as for Geno reaching out to us..."
"Oh, what happened with that?"
"I actually talked to his manager a bit while you were sleeping."
"The manager?"
Lee Gyeongbok looked at Choi Byeonghun, eyes wide, as if to ask if he knew as well.
Choi Byeonghun nodded.
"I told you, it's best not to waste energy on off-stream matters."
"Of course, nothing gets arranged without your decision."
His friends had no plans of making Lee Gyeongbok keep going after the broadcast ended. Even if his body didn't tire, ntal fatigue would build up.
"A lot was discussed, but if you get down to the core, it's not just about an apology or getting friendly."
"That makes sense. From what I saw, he didn't seem overly formal with his apology."
Lee Gyeongbok had watched Geno's apology video. It was as polite and standard an apology as the friend request ssage he'd received.
Moreover, the comnts that sparked the whole issue were actually quite understandable from a strear's perspective.
"Right. What he really wants is a 'joint broadcast'."
"Hm... figured as much."
Joint broadcast, short for a collaborative stream.
That's when multiple strears run a content segnt together.
"So, you an, he wants to duo together in Mystic League or sothing?"
"No, not just playing gas. He actually wants to invite you on as a guest."
"... As a guest?"
"Yeah. Have you heard of 'Expert Anatomy'?"
"... Did you say 'Anatomy'?"
Lee Gyeongbok tilted his head in confusion at Park Juho's question.
"See? He doesn't even know."
"Yeah, I'm the weird one for knowing."
Choi Byeonghun massaged his forehead and shook his head.
"To put it simply, it's a program where they invite an 'expert', soone highly skilled, and try to learn their know-how. The guest gets more exposure, and Geno gets to emphasize his own physical skills. Since both sides win, it's a pretty good offer."
"Oh, so I'd have to teach them about Bark or sothing?"
Finally understanding, Lee Gyeongbok nodded. He was sure that if he's going to be called an 'expert' in any ga, it would be Bio Crisis rather than Mystic League.
After all, wasn't he even recognized by the devs?
"No, but this ti it's the other way around."
"The other way? You an, not to go?"
Lee Gyeongbok asked, surprised at Park Juho's words.
"No, I an, the guest roles are reversed."
"... Co again?"
"It's sothing we'll need to discuss in more detail directly, but Geno said he'll be the one sharing his know-how as the 'expert' this ti."
"So I'd be the one learning from him?"
"That's right."
"Why?"
Lee Gyeongbok was confused.
Why would Geno give up his host spot so easily, in his own stream?
Choi Byeonghun laughed at his friend's puzzled face.
"Geno realized it too."
"Realized what?"
Choi Byeonghun figured out Geno's intentions imdiately after hearing the proposal.
"That he can't possibly imitate you."
Geno realized that he couldn't follow Purple's play.
That was the conclusion he'd co to.
User Comments
0 comments from readers