Typically, tournaments aren’t held immediately after being announced.
Given their considerable scale, a preparatory period was essential.
This involved promoting the event to the public.
Recruiting participants.
And setting up the broadcast.
Such a preparatory period, indeed.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Yura declared the tournament would commence in just three days.
Her swift decision seemed to stem from a desire to quickly secure broadcast footage and escape before any controversies could ignite.
[Author: Tournament Announcer]
[Title: Breaking News: Yura in 3 Days…]
[Announces tournament with broadcast rules]
– ? Is this for real?
– LOL, it’s actually true!
– She’s really obsessed with broadcast content, huh.
– Can we set any rules we want? That’d be awesome.
– Yura specifically stated it’s only possible within reasonable bounds. If she deems someone has crossed the line, she’ll likely cut them.
[Author: Inciter]
[Title: She really knows how to dodge controversy, doesn’t she?]
[Just as accusations of tyranny were about to ignite, she lit her own fire and burned everything down.]
– ???: Is there anything left to burn?
– Fight fire with fire! Controversy with controversy!
– Why bother catching bed bugs? Just burn everything down.
– ? What happened? Did someone else get into trouble? Can someone explain?
– Here’s a one-line summary: Yura got into a controversy, but then she poured fuel on the fire herself.
– ?
– Amazingly, it’s true.
Upon checking, I found the community was already ablaze with discussions about the incident.
Yura was a reasonably well-known mid-tier broadcaster.
Her unconventional actions were more than enough to set the community alight.
Ordinarily, I would have joined in the fervor.
Unfortunately, I had quite a bit to do today.
“These days, game consoles even have features like this.”
I operated the game console.
The community window vanished instantly.
And then.
What remained was the screen that appeared when starting a new game.
[Please log in.]
I was starting Rio World for the first time.
This meant I needed to complete the initial setup first.
I simply entered a nickname and ID.
Then proceeded with identity verification.
Modern games, without exception, do not tolerate the creation of sub-accounts.
Since only one account per person was allowed, identity verification was mandatory.
‘Ugh, all my personal information is being exposed.’
After going through several steps of the process.
[Welcome.]
[The game will now begin.]
Finally, I could start the game.
My vision abruptly shifted.
As the need for game equipment setup implied.
Rio World was fundamentally a virtual reality game.
‘Civilization has really advanced significantly here.’
I logged into the virtual reality world.
Though a strong sense of unreality lingered, this was…
Passably excellent.
‘Is this an illusion system combined with modern technology? It feels like it’s blended with psychic magic, but it’s a bit ambiguous.’
The sensation of my brainwaves being read was unpleasant, but knowing it was only superficial, I let it be.
Aside from this discomfort, Rio World had created a rather impressive virtual reality.
As I mentioned before, Rio World’s popularity stemmed from its attempt to replicate reality as closely as possible.
Now, here’s a question.
Why would this game be designed to be so similar to reality?
Merely for commercial success?
While that was certainly a factor, from my perspective, Rio World was a game designed to naturally cultivate hunters.
It was plainly evident that the game aimed to enhance combat abilities.
This alone was proof.
[Please customize your character.]
This prompt appeared immediately upon logging into Rio World.
It wasn’t about creating a new character, but rather customizing an existing one.
And…
That character was.
‘So this is how it works.’
Myself.
Illusions work best when they are indistinguishable from reality.
It was a simple principle.
When creating an illusion of an apple, which can be seen in reality, versus a winged centipede, which cannot.
Which would be easier to fall for?
The apple, naturally.
Such realism implied assimilation with reality.
And that, in turn.
Meant that combat experience gained here could be beneficial in real battles later on.
“Of all things, why this body?”
I gazed at the character before my eyes.
Curiously, the character was not my current self.
It possessed a tall stature.
A reasonably handsome appearance.
Fair skin marred by numerous contrasting scars.
A young man who, at a glance, seemed to have led a harsh life.
This character, clearly not an eight-year-old boy.
Was me from a previous life.
“Indeed, I haven’t fully adapted to this body yet.”
Even after eight years, my consciousness still seemed to linger in that past form.
Traces of my life before that one were also evident.
While the foundation was clearly my previous life.
It felt as though elements of my life before that, and my current life, had been subtly blended in.
Though the body had subtly changed, I felt no particular sense of disconnect.
This was only natural.
As this illusion was likely the most accurate projection of my current self.
I manipulated the character with my finger.
“Is this how you customize a character?”
Only a few things could be changed.
The color of the eyes, skin tone.
And perhaps the hairstyle.
Beyond that, it was mostly about adorning with various accessories.
Yet, even just changing those few elements could dramatically alter a person’s impression.
It wasn’t for nothing that Yura’s identity remained uncompromised despite fully revealing her character.
A person’s impression can change significantly with just a single mole.
So, what would happen if one changed things like attire or skin tone.
Or various other elements?
Even if it were the same person, they would appear as an entirely different individual.
‘I respect everything about myself.’
‘So, let’s not change anything.’
‘It’s absolutely not because I’m lazy.’
‘Anyway, that’s how it is.’
Having completed the initial setup.
I pressed the game start button.
Yura had set the minimum requirements for tournament participation: a certain amount of sponsorship.
Over six months of broadcasting or MiTube (TL Note: A portmanteau of ‘Me’ and ‘YouTube’, referring to a fictional video platform in the story) subscriptions.
Or paying a certain entry fee.
The level restriction was a minimum of Level 15.
And a maximum of Level 21.
Therefore.
Having just created my character, I had to level up.
Well then.
Shall I give it a try?
[Tower Climb Mode selected.]
=Ding!=
The game began.
There was no tutorial.
Because I had skipped everything.
On the first floor of the tower.
I was dropped, unarmed, into a place teeming with slimes.
Without weapons.
Or a class.
Rio World provided no class upon initial startup.
Simply put, I was jobless.
The method to acquire a class was straightforward.
Repeatedly performing the same task.
Or learning skills related to a profession.
However, I had no intention of acquiring a class right now.
While I would prefer a familiar physical combat class, there was something I wanted to do in this jobless, Level 0 state.
Though I could gain points by leveling up and invest them to raise my stats.
I was currently in a completely initial state.
In this state, I intended to.
“Shall I test out some of my advice?”
I planned to verify how effective the advice I’d given so far truly was.
I intended to verify it.
****
– No. Yura! Is your broadcast really okay?
“Yes, Unnie (TL Note: A Korean term used by a female to address an older female friend or sister). Of course it is…”
Yura was being nagged by her close Unnie.
– What do you mean ‘okay’? I heard all the news. It’s too late to cancel the tournament now, isn’t it?
“It is.”
– Then why did you do such a thing?
“But the broadcast content turned out great, didn’t it?”
Though her Unnie couldn’t see, she flashed a thumbs-up and grinned.
Her willingness to make deals with devils and walk a tightrope for her broadcast.
It was the very image of a born broadcaster.
– Is that something you should say?!
However, the person Yura called Unnie couldn’t comprehend Yura’s tightrope act.
Though she was also a broadcaster, her style wasn’t to chase gambles like Yura.
Instead, she preferred to build a stable and consistent loyal fanbase, making it even harder.
To understand Yura’s approach.
But what could be done?
The milk was already spilled.
Unless her Unnie would clean it up for her.
Yura had to be left to resolve it herself.
“Anyway, Unnie. The reason I called was not for anything else but…”
– I know. You called to ask how to set up the tournament broadcast, right?
“Unnie, you’re so quick-witted. You’re the best.”
– You really… *Sigh*.
“Hehe.”
– Alright. Listen carefully from now on. For broadcast settings, if you tell your manager, the company will handle it well. However, there are still some parts you need to pay attention to… This part is difficult to explain verbally, so I’ll send it to you via email later.
Thanks to her, who, despite her anger, told Yura everything she needed to know, Yura was able to get all the necessary information.
“I love you, Unnie!”
– Enough with the flattery. Just resolve it well. That’s why I’m telling you all my secret setup methods.
“Of course! Who do you think I am?”
– Alright. I’m hanging up then.
“Okay~.”
Click.
The call ended.
Yura put down her phone and immediately checked her email.
There was a long email from her Unnie.
After reading it in detail, Yura immediately began setting up the broadcast.
This tournament shouldn’t be dragged out.
So, she had attached many conditions to minimize the number of participants.
Nevertheless, there could still be many people eligible to participate.
Yura prepared the broadcast by refining the tournament rules, aiming to filter them out in the first screening.
As things began to take shape.
Yura went to the community forum to check the reactions to the tournament.
‘The atmosphere doesn’t seem bad… I wonder what the reactions are like.’
While the community was usually poison.
Sometimes, one had to drink this poison.
And then…
There, Yura discovered an unexpected post.
“What is this…?”
[Author: 3rd Life]
[Title: Advice Verification]
“Advice verification?”
The post was currently heating up the real-time best board.
