When harsh curses unexpectedly burst forth from such a sweet voice, Jo Cheol-gon erupted in laughter. The viewers, too, were thrown into a frenzy by the outburst.
– LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
– Sis, I’m cold, hug me
– This is totally legit LOL
– My apologies, my apologies, my apologies
“Wow, you really have a knack for this, don’t you?”
Jo Cheol-gon clapped, still laughing. It was a line that would have earned a standing ovation, had he not been confined to the capsule. Indeed, cursing was all about timing. There was nothing more satisfying than swearing at those who undeniably deserved it.
Sori Hwa, of course, hadn’t planned it; she was merely cursing the behavior of her hateful viewers. The fact that she would never see these people again played a significant role. Otherwise, Sori Hwa, despite being a keyboard warrior, would never have dared to curse so vehemently.
“It’s… rather embarrassing. Could you please end the stream quickly?”
As Jo Cheol-gon continued to laugh, refusing to end the broadcast, Sori Hwa mumbled, shrinking into herself. Even with this sudden shift in her demeanor, the viewers’ reactions were explosive.
“That was absolutely insane. Alright, I’ll end the broadcast here for now.”
Jo Cheol-gon, filled with admiration, concluded the stream. While he could have certainly pushed for more donations by keeping the stream going, cutting it short at this moment was the perfect way to leave viewers wanting more, ensuring they would return. Sori Hwa had also asked him to end the broadcast.
****
“Wadeulwadeul. You did well today.”
“Yes, yes. Thank you.”
As soon as the broadcast ended, Jo Cheol-gon extended his greetings to Sori Hwa. Sori Hwa accepted them without fuss.
“I apologize again for doubting you.”
“It’s alright. To be honest, I didn’t even know I’d do that well myself.”
Sori Hwa, too, was equally astonished by her own movements and shooting prowess. It was almost as if the game characters couldn’t keep up with her movements. This underscored just how exceptional Sori Hwa’s martial arts skills truly were. Of course, having never had the opportunity to demonstrate or compare her skills with others, even she remained unaware of her true capabilities.
“Oh, and if you give me your account number, I’ll send you that two million nyang (TL Note: A traditional Korean unit of currency, often used in fantasy or historical contexts.) and all the donations received today. There will be some fees deducted, but it should still be a substantial amount.”
“What? Wasn’t it supposed to be half?”
“I was a bit rude today, wasn’t I? I feel I should give you at least that much to ease my conscience.”
Sori Hwa hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure about the in-game period, but she remembered an explosion of donations from the end of the hacking accusation explanation until the broadcast concluded. While it felt somewhat overwhelming to receive all of it, Sori Hwa was hardly in a position to refuse money right now.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
“Alright. Good. And one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Would you consider streaming?”
“What?”
Jo Cheol-gon’s direct question flew straight at Sori Hwa, hitting close to home. As Sori Hwa, flustered, struggled to form a coherent reply, Jo Cheol-gon elaborated.
“Your gaming skills are impressive, but that final comment truly tore the house down. That’s a natural, innate talent.”
“…Hm.”
“Have you never considered streaming at all?”
At Jo Cheol-gon’s inquiry, Sori Hwa paused momentarily before speaking truthfully.
“I have, actually. But I lacked the money for equipment, and after work, I’d often be too tired to bother. Also, the virtual reality capsule has become almost essential for streaming, so not being able to afford one was a major barrier.”
“So, that’s no longer an issue now, is it?”
“I suppose not.”
It wasn’t as if Sori Hwa hadn’t considered streaming after receiving the virtual reality capsule. However, given her personality, she found the idea of broadcasting in front of others somewhat daunting, and constantly struggling with rent, utilities, and food expenses, she felt burdened by the prospect of a stream that wouldn’t immediately generate income.
“The V12 I sent you should have all the broadcasting options built-in as standard. It’s the latest model, after all.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. I’m using it myself right now. If you’re primarily going to stream virtual reality games, you won’t need to buy any separate equipment.”
“…That’s true.”
“I’m telling you, you’ll absolutely blow up. I’ve been streaming for quite a while, so I have an incredible intuition for these things. If you start streaming now, I can even offer you support.”
“What kind of support?”
“Well, things like hosting or collaborations. Of course, that might attract anti-fans who’ll complain I’m ‘leeching off you’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘ppaldae kkojnneunda,’ meaning to exploit someone or freeload.), but to grow your presence, you have to accept some anti-fans.”
Jo Cheol-gon spoke rapidly, almost firing off his words. Sori Hwa pondered this, then a thought suddenly occurred to her.
“Why are you going to such lengths for me?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, it’s just one collaboration we did together, so why offer such extensive support? If we do collaborations or hosting, it won’t just be me getting criticized; you’ll be criticized too, Jo Cheol-gon.”
From these words, Jo Cheol-gon became convinced that Sori Hwa’s poverty was not a fabrication either. Typically, the first thing taken from those born into poverty (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘heuksujeo,’ literally ‘dirt spoon,’ referring to someone from a poor background.) was trust. Trust in people, trust in love, trust in goodwill—such things.
“Well, I felt bad for doubting you, and I genuinely want to help. Honestly, it’s not a big deal for me, but it could be a huge help to Wadeulwadeul, couldn’t it? Is that not enough?”
“…I don’t know. Frankly, I’ve never received this kind of help before, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Then just try accepting it. I’m not trying to do anything bad, am I?”
“No, you’re not.”
Even as she said that, Sori Hwa still couldn’t quite grasp it. In both her past life and this one, people who approached her feigning kindness were usually scum. Especially in the two years since she descended the mountain (TL Note: Referring to leaving a secluded training place, common in wuxia/murim novels.), she had encountered an untold number of scoundrels.
When seeking employment, the men who always tried to lure Sori Hwa with honeyed words were typically those running illegal entertainment establishments. She had even heard disgusting remarks, like how she was an “SSS-grade catch” for certain perverse tastes.
There were times when she was truly desperate for money, and out of a faint hope, she had once followed them, but predictably, in a dimly lit room, they had forced her to pour drinks, prompting her to beat up all the “깍두기” (TL Note: A Korean slang term for low-ranking thugs or enforcers, often associated with organized crime.) in front of her and escape.
‘Just this once…’
‘Should I trust him?’ The thought crossed her mind. In truth, Sori Hwa tended to trust people, even while maintaining her guard. Having endured every kind of misfortune, from being born an orphan to encountering wicked individuals, she felt it defied logic that no luck would ever come her way. And indeed, Jo Cheol-gon was the one who had brought her the good fortune of the V12.
“Perhaps… I’ll give it a try.”
“That’s a good decision. Of course, it’s not necessary now, but once your presence grows, I can introduce you to an MCN.”
“An MCN?”
“It’s like a management company that handles streamers.”
Sori Hwa let out a small laugh at Jo Cheol-gon’s words. It was like counting her chickens before they hatched. Or, given that this was the Central Plains (TL Note: A traditional term for a central region, often implying China or a fantasy equivalent.), perhaps ‘eating mala tang’ was a more apt analogy. It felt like devouring a full bowl of mala tang when the giver hadn’t even conceived of offering the rice cakes (TL Note: A Korean idiom, ‘tteok jul sarameun saenggakdo annneunde gimchitguk masinda,’ meaning to expect something good when the giver has no intention of providing it. The author playfully substitutes ‘kimchi soup’ with ‘mala tang’ and ‘rice cakes’ to fit the setting.).
“We don’t even know if it’ll work out, so why think so far ahead?”
“I’m telling you, it’s a guaranteed success.”
Jo Cheol-gon reiterated his conviction, almost to the point of overwhelming Sori Hwa.
“Alright, I understand for now.”
“Right. You’ll be streaming Royal Commando, won’t you?”
“Presumably?”
“In that case, setting up the stream is simple. Just enable streaming on your Ogogok (TL Note: A fictional streaming platform name.) account, link it with the V12, and the screen you see will be broadcast directly. The V12’s settings are intuitive, so I probably don’t even need to explain anything.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll give it a try. Thank you.”
“Alright, Wadeulwadeul. You did well today.”
“You too, Jo Cheol-gon.”
Sori Hwa disconnected the call with Jo Cheol-gon and emerged from the virtual reality capsule. Despite having lain there for a long time, the memory foam seat prevented any back pain. Her head, however, felt a little hazy. It was almost as if everything that had just transpired was a dream.
“Oh, right.”
Sori Hwa, who had been staring blankly, suddenly realized the first thing she needed to do. It was to send her bank account number to Jo Cheol-gon.
Scarcely a minute after sending her account details, an deposit notification arrived. An incoming deposit notification always brought a thrill.
“…Huh?”
Sori Hwa furrowed her brow as she stared at her phone screen. An unexpected figure had appeared. The deposited silver currency amounted to a staggering 3.5 million nyang.
– Didn’t you send the wrong amount?
– No, it’s correct~ 3.5 million nyang is right
Sori Hwa immediately sent a message to Jo Cheol-gon, who replied instantly. Did that mean she had earned 1.5 million nyang in just those three hours?
They said top streamers earned a lot of money, and it seemed that was truly the case. Suddenly, a grand ambition, ill-suited for Sori Hwa’s petite frame, swelled within her. Could she also earn so much if she succeeded as a streamer? Her hope circuits overheated so intensely that she felt as though her Nine Yin Severing Meridian (TL Note: A fictional martial arts condition, often implying a critical internal injury or weakness.) could be cured instantly.
Of course, life was not so simple, and the moment she entertained that thought, a seizure immediately struck.
“Aargh. Alright, alright.”
Sori Hwa apologized to her Nine Yin Severing Meridian and promptly took her medicine.
After taking her medicine, Sori Hwa carefully lay down on her bed. The springs in this bed were broken, so throwing herself onto it would cause pain.
“Heh, hehe…”
Lying still, Sori Hwa suddenly began to chuckle. With a substantial sum of 3.5 million nyang in her hands for the first time in a long while, laughter came naturally.
With this newfound bulk of money, she remembered the tasks awaiting her. She needed to replenish her Severing Meridian medicine, pay her overdue rent, and check which canned goods were on bundle sale at Daewunha (TL Note: A fictional social commerce platform, literally ‘Grand Canal’), the Central Plains’ largest social commerce site.
“…Hm.”
All of these were equally important tasks, yet one thing surpassed them all.
“Ah, what a hassle.”
Sori Hwa placed the back of her hand on her cool forehead, gazing at the cracked ceiling. It was a remnant of her furious blanket-kicking during the Shaolin Temple’s downfall. A gentle draft wafted in, but for Sori Hwa, who had reached the realm of Cold and Heat Immunity (TL Note: A martial arts term referring to a state where one is unaffected by extreme temperatures.), it was not a significant issue. Come to think of it, she hadn’t even mentioned it to the landlord yet. If she did now, they would surely demand compensation, so she decided to postpone it.
For now, it was time for a rare outing. As always, since she was going out to spend money, not earn it, she felt she should dress a little differently. For days like this, she had a secret collection of clothes in her wardrobe.
“Good.”
Having chosen and put on her entire outfit, Sori Hwa looked satisfied as she gazed into the full-length mirror.
A white T-shirt with a large luxury brand logo emblazoned across the chest, luxury pants with elaborate patterns, white shoes, and a black baseball cap. It was the perfect outfit for a ‘FLEX’ (TL Note: A slang term referring to showing off wealth or possessions.) outing.
