Chapter 28
The Chosen One (2)
3.
<Title: Brought over reactions from foreign communities>
Content: I gathered some reactions from places like Reddit. Used Google Translate, so excuse the awkward phrasing.
(Screenshots)
“What? Is this guy really a 2nd-floor player? No way.”
“That makes no sense. Wasn’t South Korea considered an Abyss backwater? Where did this kind of monster suddenly pop out from?”
“For an Asian, he’s pretty manly.”
“←Are you racist?”
“We should naturalize him as an American immediately.”
“Oh my god. Not only his magic, but his mana control ability is incredible. I can’t believe it.”
“Did he say he streams on MeTube? We can watch too, right?”
“I just went and watched all his channel’s videos—he’s insane. If it’s not staged, there’s no way to explain it.”
“Did Korea develop a new kind of nuke?”
“←Idiot, that’s North Korea. This guy’s from South Korea. And North Korea’s already on the verge of collapse.”
“…Amazing.”
“Right, hyung. That’s why I already added English subtitles.”
“Already?”
“Yeah.”
“You really are SSS-rank, Taeo.”
We met at a café early in the morning for a business meeting.
Just a single mention from a massive foreign corporation with 12.01 million subscribers, and my MeTube channel had undergone a huge shift.
First thing: views on my old videos.
Not only had they easily passed 3 million, but the comment sections had also blown up.
I am from Finland. Dungeon sauna. I like it.
This streamer’s name is Meteor Shower. “Yu” is a common Chinese surname. As a Chinese, I am very proud.
Very likely this is faked. Korea is always like this. Why can’t they be honest like us Japanese?
You lunatics, this is a Korean channel;;;
Wow, already trying to steal our MegaGod? Not a chance.
This man’s nationality is the Republic of Korea.
Plenty of comments clearly typed through translation software.
And from everywhere—US, Japan, China, etc.
…So now, my stream had acquired a new feature: “Translation-ese.”
Weird.
Is this what being a world star feels like?
“But hyung, that Archmage MeTuber tends to mention other channels here and there. The hype might not last long.”
Our SSS-grade editor Taeo—who works without needing to be told—spoke cautiously.
“I’ve never seen a channel grow this fast…”
“Me neither, not at this speed.”
“Eh? Really?”
“You know I was a small fry for years.”
Right now, my channel had 320,000 subscribers.
After my fourth stream yesterday and then the Archmage’s shout-out, the subscriber count had exploded.
Each refresh brought more.
At this rate? A million? The Gold Button? Maybe not a dream after all.
But as for the additional unlock condition for <Attention-Seeker>—membership subscribers—it was still crawling.
Subscribing is free, but joining membership costs money.
That’s the big difference.
No matter how much I say I’ll use it for good, the nature of membership makes it a tough sell.
“But hyung, at this rate, the 3rd floor could get dangerous.”
“Hm?”
“From the 3rd floor onward, Chinese and Japanese players often come into the Korean region. With this much attention…”
“Ah, yeah, the Ability Management Department warned me about that too.”
I downed the iced coffee in my cup, ice and all, then grinned at Taeo.
“That just makes it better. Content will walk right up to me. That’s what I told the department too.”
“Haha. Well, if you say so, hyung, I guess that’s right.”
“Honestly, I want to get to the 3rd floor quickly and meet foreign players.”
How fun would that be?
The thought alone sent a thrill through me.
And Taeo—he talked way more than when I first met him. His face looked healthier, his voice stronger.
Good to see.
You only grow close by meeting often.
He hadn’t gone out much in years, so I hoped this would help him adapt to the world again.
“You said you had ideas about membership content direction, right?”
“That’s why I called you out today.”
The reason we were having coffee today was membership videos.
Last night, I’d thought carefully about tips only I could provide.
The difference between me and other players:
I’d spent a long time in another world, fighting dangerous enemies.
Meaning—?
In short, I had high-quality combat experience.
Like last stream’s <Purging Dark Mana with Mana>—that was one example.
Some membership subscribers might just want to support me, but that has limits.
When it comes to knowledge about the Abyss, maybe I can’t compete—but when it comes to mana, dark mana, and other supernatural abilities, I’ve got the edge.
Avalon was originally a fantasy world full of magic and heroes, after all.
And in my head was the vast knowledge poured in by multiple masters.
Basic mana control, weapon skills to use mana efficiently, and more.
“But the videos should have higher membership fees to stand out, right?”
“Hmm. Do we really need to?”
“Most people who’d watch them are players. And free info often gets ignored. If it costs a lot, some people value it more.”
“Two-track system… I like it!”
“You’re okay with the extra work?”
“You’ll take care of me, hyung. Oh, did you think of a price?”
“Let’s discuss slowly. I’ll ask Inseop too.”
“Got it.”
“For membership tier names… maybe something like ‘Omakase’? Since I’ll only give out what I want to give.”
“And the existing tier?”
“Conveyor-belt sushi. Pick what you want.”
“Not bad.”
And so, a new membership tier was born.
Conveyor Belt Sushi: gacha videos, rare Abyss footage, stuff casual viewers would want.
Omakase: high-level knowledge for players hungry for power.
If you row a boat against a tidal wave, you’ll just get swallowed. That’s not the right answer.
I’ll surf on the wave instead.
And the aftermath?
I’ll think about that later.
4.
<Title: Breaking news) New MeTube membership tier announced>
Content: This guy’s really gone crazy for money;;; The fee’s ₩100,000? Isn’t he just money-mad????? I’m seriously disappointed;;
←He said it’s a players-only membership.
←Yeah, he even posted an announcement on the new fan café today. Also on MeTube.
←Broadcast-related videos are still in the Conveyor Belt Sushi tier.
←For players, it’s pocket change. High-floor players also pay big money for strategy vids.
←What strategies can a 2nd-floor scrub offer? lol If you’re sane you wouldn’t join.
←I’m a magic-type player, and the stuff he showed yesterday has the whole academic field in an uproar rn.
←Hmm, guess it’s worth that much.
←Do you really think Meteor is just a normal 2nd-floor player?
Since I started streaming, I’d developed a bad habit: ego-searching.
Back in my small-fry days, I tried it a few times. But no matter how much I searched, nothing came up.
But now?
I didn’t even have to search—talk about me was spreading everywhere.
The newly added Omakase tier, born from my talk with Taeo, had become perfect bait.
“So much to do.”
Let’s list the weapons I can use:
One-handed sword, two-handed sword, axe, spear, polearm, crossbow, bow, etc.
And not just weapons—many skills.
Trap disarming, magic, navigation, and so on.
Because I had so many masters in Avalon, my status in game terms was basically a “jack-of-all-trades.”
The <Skill Archive> trait had been ridiculous—once I was taught a skill, all related knowledge naturally organized itself in my head.
Of course, I couldn’t just learn skills instantly—there were requirements to meet.
Anyway—
Kieeeek!
[Boss monster <Goblin Patrol Captain LV 35> defeated!]
[Congratulations! You’ve completed the area exploration quest!]
[Achievement points needed for 3rd floor entry: 120/200]
[You’ve gained Transcendence EXP.]
[Your Transcendence Level has increased.]
Another dive into the back-Abyss, as usual.
Inseop’s custom “speedrun route” was truly amazing. From EXP to achievement points, the efficiency was insane, with no wasted movement.
Oh, and I’d talked with him about 2nd-floor content. His take:
“Strategy streams aren’t feasible with your specs. Instead, just break world records and speedrun to the 3rd floor. The 2nd-floor promotion quest is fun—start your next stream there, the reaction will be huge.”
The 1st-floor promotion quest had been boring.
Just kill a tougher monster, that’s it.
They say the lower floors are about building foundation, but honestly, I had no foundation left to build.
Transcendence level?
The higher I climb, the faster it’ll rise anyway.
“Got to live diligently.”
I picked up the magic stones and capsules scattered on the ground, smiling contentedly.
Dust piles up into mountains.
If I want to set up an office or house, I’ll need a lot of money.
Becoming a landlord sounds good.
As a kid, that was my dream.
If I buy a building, I’ll give hyung an office.
Maybe turn one floor into a giant indoor playground for Ian? Open a café for Binna-noona on the floor below?
Bzzzzzz.
“Disable recording mode for now.”
Three hours of hunting already.
It was a little lonely without streaming, but freeing my brain was healing.
Streaming was more exhausting than killing monsters—probably because I still wasn’t used to real-time feedback.
I pulled out my <Inventory Thermos> and gulped down some iced mix coffee.
“Ahh.”
The ice hadn’t even melted yet.
By the way, that thermos had cost ₩100,000.
Binna-noona had given it as a gift to celebrate my streaming comeback.
It had a decent warming enchantment, though weaker than Velua’s enchantments.
Hmm.
Once I unlock 4th-circle spells, I’ll also unlock enchant magic. Maybe I could sell enchanted goods as merch?
That’d be a gold mine.
“Transcendence Level Window.”
During my break, I checked my Transcendence Points.
My level had just risen—now at Transcendence Level 2.
[Current Transcendence Level: 2 (Available Points: 1)]
[Choose a trait to invest in.]
- <Skill Archive> – <Slot 1 – Mad Tower Master Velua>: 1 point – <Slot 2 – Battle God Zerach>: 0 points
<Attention-Seeker>: 0 points
Last time I’d invested in Skill Archive.
I didn’t know the exact numbers, but I could definitely feel the effect.
This time I’d considered putting one into Zerach’s slot, but I also wanted to test out Attention-Seeker.
Curious what happens if I strengthen a restriction-like trait.
So the result?
[Unique trait <Attention-Seeker> has been strengthened!]
[Attention-Seeker (Ex Lv.1)]
Extra effect unlocked at Transcendence Level 1: For every 100,000 subscribers, additional EXP gained increases by 1%. (Current bonus: 3%)
Next effect unlocks at Transcendence Level 5.
…Could this also be the “Lucky Matryoshka” effect?
Unbelievable.
It increases EXP multiplier?
How much more are they planning to give me?!
It’s only 3% now, but the more subscribers I gain, the higher it stacks.
At 1 million subs, 10%.
At 10 million? A whopping 100%.
Ridiculous.
So Skill Archive is combat-related, while Attention-Seeker seems tied to the system—like EXP or drop rate bonuses.
“Ffffuuu…”
Just imagining it made me drool.
The only downside: no immediate boost after investing.
The description said the next effect unlocks at Level 5—kind of disappointing.
So, if I want instant strength, Skill Archive. If I can wait, Attention-Seeker.
That’s how growth should feel.
Stronger with more subscribers, stronger with higher Transcendence Level.
I felt motivated as hell.
Since the lower floors aren’t an issue, I’ll probably keep investing in Attention-Seeker for now.
Ah, but this isn’t the time—
“Just two more hunting spots, then dinner out—”
That’s when it hit.
[Warning! <EXP Multiplier Benefit> is a clear act of unfair play!]
[The <Abyss> lodges a strong objection to the <World Soul of Earth>!]
[Fatal error detected.]
[Emergency measures activated: Summoning <Korea 2nd-Floor Administrator> of the Abyss.]
…Huh?
