Currently, there were 4,000 viewers.
Even with 4,000 people watching the broadcast, not all of them actively participated in the chat.
Some simply tuned in as background noise, akin to listening to a radio, while others might be watching on a stand, making it difficult to type.
In fact, viewers who consistently chatted and provided reactions constituted slightly more than 5% of the total audience.
This implied that if a chat window, typically accustomed to around 200 active participants, were suddenly inundated with 3,000 messages, it could easily become overwhelmed and chaotic.
“Wow. The chat is exploding, isn’t it?”
While it could be considered a broadcast mishap, this particular incident was a welcome one.
After all, it signified that the response was incredibly hot.
Moreover, if only the chat window had crashed, one could simply end the broadcast and restart it.
“Hey, I’m restarting the stream quickly.”
Jo Cheol-gon swiftly turned off the broadcast.
Upon confirming it was off, he chuckled.
“Heh heh. You saw it, right? How hot the reaction was?”
“…Uh, yes, I did.”
Even with the broadcast off, the conversation with Sori Hwa remained.
In a way, it was a fleeting moment of injury time.
“Right now, no matter what Wadeulwadeul does, the viewers will love it.
So, don’t be scared; just say everything you want to say.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Sori Hwa stammered, having not anticipated such an explosive reaction.
Jo Cheol-gon understood the sentiment implicitly.
Don’t people inherently undervalue their own strengths?
From Jo Cheol-gon’s perspective, as a long-time streamer, Sori Hwa’s voice was top-tier: an ideal timbre for broadcasting.
Viewers prefer voices that are familiar and not fatiguing, yet distinctly unique.
These are undoubtedly demanding criteria, as one’s voice is something they are born with.
Sori Hwa’s voice existed somewhere between that of a child and a woman.
At first listen, it sounded like a ‘jemmini’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term referring to a child or someone with a childish demeanor), but upon continued listening, a definite feminine charm emerged in her tone.
OgoGok (TL Note: The name of the streaming platform) was a platform where cuteness, rather than sexiness, garnered significantly better reactions.
From this perspective, Sori Hwa already possessed an innate talent for broadcasting.
“I’m starting it.”
“Okay.”
After a brief check on Sori Hwa’s condition, Jo Cheol-gon launched the broadcast.
An even larger crowd surged in all at once than when they first started.
If the initial influx was a mere tide, this was a tsunami-level wave of viewers.
Whether a viral campaign had spread through some community, the viewer count had increased by 1.5 times compared to before the restart.
They hadn’t even begun the content yet, but there were already 6,000 people watching.
“Welcome back, everyone! The chat is currently overflowing, so I’ve restricted it to followers of six months or more.”
– Wow LOLOLOLOL
– Newbies’ mouths are sealed!!!!!!!!!!!
– But is Wadeulwadeul really a girl?
– Just by her voice, she must be incredibly cute
– Ugh, these simps (TL Note: ‘Yuksu’ is a derogatory Korean slang term referring to overly obsessive or ‘thirsty’ male fans who ‘drool’ over female streamers) are already drooling again
Jo Cheol-gon watched the rapidly scrolling chat window with a satisfied smile.
How could this be the firepower of a chat restricted to six-month followers?
The reaction was already red-hot, and Jo Cheol-gon’s planned ‘kick’ hadn’t even been fully unveiled yet.
“As you can see, today I’ll be playing a game with Wadeulwadeul, but it’s not just a simple duo.
This is a Newbie Invitation Segment.
Wadeulwadeul mentioned that this is her very first time playing Royal Commando.
She’s playing it for the first time today.”
– Newbie Invitation Segment?
– There’s someone who hasn’t played Royal Commando?
– No way
The viewers began to doubt.
At least the OgoGok viewer base largely consisted of introverted, game-loving individuals.
For someone in that group to claim they hadn’t played Royal Commando certainly raised suspicions.
“I-it’s really true.
Ouch! I bit my tongue.”
Sori Hwa uttered her first words since her initial greeting, but she was so nervous that she bit her tongue.
– LOLOLOLOLOLOL
– So cute LOLOLOLOLOL
Jo Cheol-gon also smiled, clearly satisfied.
The timing of her comment and even her mistake of biting her tongue were absolutely perfect.
Occasionally, when Jo Cheol-gon streamed with female streamers, some viewers would express resentment.
Comments like accusing the female streamer of ‘flirting’ or ‘leeching’ off Jo Cheol-gon would appear in the chat.
However, Wadeulwadeul was not a professional streamer, and she was even displaying an endearing clumsiness.
Even the most strongly defensive viewers couldn’t help but disarm.
“I also just entered a virtual reality capsule for the first time.
I’ve never even been to a capsule room before.”
“Honestly, I still find that hard to believe.
Don’t kids usually go to capsule rooms with their friends after school?”
Jo Cheol-gon interjected with a comment.
Sori Hwa paused for a moment before continuing.
“I’ve never done that.
PC bangs (TL Note: Internet cafes in Korea) are a different story, though.”
“Excuse me? PC bangs still exist?”
“They did in my time….”
Sori Hwa knew.
In this era, personal computers were so widely available that PC bangs were a thing of the past.
Now, only one or two might remain in rural areas.
The sudden summoning of old memories stirred the chat window.
– PC bang LOLOLOLOLOLOL
– Isn’t that at least 15 years ago?
In any case, with so much laughter, the atmosphere was good.
Considering Wadeulwadeul was a complete novice at streaming, their back-and-forth was surprisingly smooth.
“Are you older than I thought?
Come to think of it, I haven’t even asked your age.
How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-two.”
“Wow, really? I definitely thought you’d be a teenager.
Your voice sounds so young!”
While Sori Hwa’s actual body had lived much longer, there was no reason to elaborate on that.
After descending from the mountain, Sori Hwa simply lived according to her age before her previous life.
Despite her severely youthful appearance, if she presented her reissued resident registration, people would believe her.
“I hear that a lot.”
“I’m sure you do.
Anyway, let’s start the game now.
Shall we begin with the tutorial?”
– She hasn’t even done the tutorial?
– A newbie in this super hardcore (TL Note: ‘jojgoinmul,’ a vulgar slang term for a highly experienced or ‘veteran’ player, often used self-deprecatingly or to describe someone who has played a game for an extremely long time) game? Gasp!
– It’s crude, but I’ve become aroused…
– She’s truly a pure beginner (TL Note: ‘Cheongjeongsu,’ literally ‘clean water,’ used to describe someone completely new and untainted by a game).
“If we form a group and enter the tutorial, we can do it together.
I’ll guide you through it.”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
Jo Cheol-gon sent Sori Hwa a group invitation.
Once the invitation was accepted, Sori Hwa entered the tutorial.
[ Clank, clank, clank. ]
[ Welcome to the Royal Commando Training Camp Induction Ceremony! ]
Accompanied by the sound of soldiers parading, such a video unfolded.
It was a cutscene that only appeared when starting the tutorial for the very first time.
Since Jo Cheol-gon was in a duo with Sori Hwa, the same cutscene was playing before him.
This was why Jo Cheol-gon had told Sori Hwa not to touch anything—neither the tutorial nor any settings—to truly prove she was playing for the first time.
– Wow, how long has it been since I’ve seen this tutorial cutscene?
– This, why, true (TL Note: ‘I wae jin,’ Korean internet slang, short for ‘Ige wae jinjjaim?’ meaning ‘Why is this real?’ or ‘How is this true?’) ????????
The chat window was indeed unfolding as Jo Cheol-gon had predicted.
The atmosphere was excellent.
It had been over five years since the game Royal Commando was released.
For a game of that age, there were almost no new players.
Therefore, as soon as viewers realized Sori Hwa was a genuine newbie, the chat atmosphere instantly became lively and friendly.
“Just keep going for now.
Ask if you have any questions.”
“Yes, yes.”
Sori Hwa’s in-game appearance was the basic female skin, as she hadn’t customized her character.
Although it had only been a short time, this was the moment when even those who had doubted Sori Hwa’s gender were silenced.
Virtual reality capsules recognized gender and distinctly differentiated between male and female bodies when creating characters.
Sori Hwa was clearly a female character.
“Then I’ll proceed.”
“Okay.”
Sori Hwa began playing the game.
[ Let’s see your chick’s shooting skills! ]
With the NPC’s dialogue, Sori Hwa’s character changed.
It was a male figure wearing goggles, a helmet, and a bulletproof vest.
His weapon was an assault rifle.
Royal Commando was a game where in-game character models were pre-designed, so selecting a character would transform one into that character.
“That’s the Trooper character.
It’s the most basic and easiest character to play,” Jo Cheol-gon added.
Sori Hwa nodded, looking tense.
[ Fire once. ]
Following the NPC instructor’s words, Sori Hwa aimed at the target.
The Trooper adopted a cool firing stance and began to shoot.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
[ Two out of ten shots. Haha! That can happen! ]
The result was two hits out of ten shots.
Even considering that women, on average, tend to perform worse in shooting games than men, this was still a poor performance.
– LOLOLOLOLOLOL
– The way the barrel shakes is so cute LOLOLOLOLOL
Jo Cheol-gon suppressed his laughter and spoke.
Even he, a broadcasting veteran, found it adorable.
How much cuter must it be for the viewers?
“It’s okay.
Don’t be discouraged.”
“Ah, no.
It doesn’t feel like my own body.”
Sori Hwa stammered.
Jo Cheol-gon chuckled.
“That’s normal.
Virtual reality capsule games incorporate movement correction.”
“Movement correction?”
“Yes.
Each game character has skills and unique movements, and not everyone can perform those movements.
Just now, your shooting stance looked incredibly cool, didn’t it?
That’s because of the movement correction.
You’ve never actually fired a gun before, have you?”
Sori Hwa was about to protest that she had fired a gun, but she stopped herself.
Even though she had completed her military service in South Korea, if she were to say she’d fired a gun here, wouldn’t it just lead to questions about whether she’d only done so at an indoor shooting range?
“…Well, that’s true.”
“What’s incredibly fascinating about virtual reality capsules is how the memory seat’s sensors precisely measure physical abilities, allowing you to only perform movements that align with your actual body’s capabilities.
Essentially, if you’re extremely overweight (TL Note: ‘gaessipdwaeji,’ a vulgar term for an extremely obese person), you won’t be able to do the splits even in virtual reality.”
“Oh, I know that.”
Sori Hwa wasn’t completely oblivious; she knew a fair bit about virtual reality capsules.
She simply lacked personal experience.
“But the movements feel so awkward.
It doesn’t feel like I’m moving my own body.
It’s like moving a puppet on strings.”
“Ah, then the correction level is high.
Since it’s likely your first time playing, the correction level is probably set high.
Would you like to check the settings?”
“Yes.”
Sori Hwa entered the settings.
As Jo Cheol-gon had said, the movement correction bar was dragged all the way to the right, indicating 100% correction.
“The lower the movement correction level, the closer it is to your own movements.
More detailed movements become possible.
However, that also means physical ability becomes truly important.
For example, the Trooper has grenades in their chest vest, and if the correction level is low, you might fumble when trying to pull a grenade, making you unable to use the skill, or you might misaim the grenade.
So, finding the correction level that suits your own body is crucial.”
“So that’s how it works.
I understand.
I’ll try lowering the correction level a bit.”
“Yes, yes.”
Sori Hwa seemed to be adjusting something in the settings.
Since the settings hologram was only visible to the individual, Jo Cheol-gon couldn’t tell how much Sori Hwa had lowered the correction level.
“I’ll try shooting again.”
“Okay.”
Jo Cheol-gon said with a hint of a smile, as he somehow already knew the outcome.
While 100% correction might be uncomfortable, it at least ensured a perfect stance.
If she couldn’t shoot well even with that, then lowering the correction level would likely make her shoot even worse.
This was a common stage of physical ability denial that virtual reality capsule newbies often experienced.
It was unrealistic to find the perfect correction level for one’s body on the first try, but even finding that level didn’t guarantee good shooting.
After all, it wouldn’t be a game without a physical element.
Finding the correction level was just the starting point.
After that, aim and game sense became important.
Jo Cheol-gon predicted she wouldn’t hit even one out of ten shots.
– That pattern is ON.
– Grenade in the pot in 3 seconds LOLOLOLOLOLOL
The viewers, having seen such scenarios often, were making similar predictions to Jo Cheol-gon.
Sori Hwa, without looking at the chat window, refocused on the target.
[ Fire once. ]
The NPC’s repeated dialogue was heard again, and Sori Hwa immediately snapped the rifle into a perfect firing stance.
Sori Hwa was twenty-two years old.
She was a reserve soldier (TL Note: ‘yebigun,’ South Korean military reserve forces) in her zeroth year, having been discharged less than six months prior.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Huh? Oh?”
Initially, Jo Cheol-gon watched Sori Hwa’s target with a paternal smile, but his expression gradually twisted into something strange.
He thought it was a coincidence when she hit one or two shots, but then she hit five shots directly in the center.
He was still wondering what was happening when she finally landed all ten shots precisely in the bullseye.
Moreover, she fired all ten shots directly into the center almost without a single breath, with no time spent re-aiming.
[ Unbelievable! All ten shots hit their mark! ]
The NPC reacted with an exaggerated surprise as programmed, but the real people, Jo Cheol-gon and the viewers, could not believe the situation.
In stark contrast to Sori Hwa’s voice, the chat window briefly froze.
The wisp of smoke rising from Sori Hwa’s rifle barrel shimmered before Jo Cheol-gon’s eyes.
