Chapter 23: Joint Broadcast (2)

While each running their own streams, VirtuKing and Dojun shared their screens for the joint content.

“From what I know, Phantom has been streaming without a cam, right? My viewers already know this, but to stream with me, having a virtual character is basically a must.”

— “True. Almost everything’s done in the virtual world anyway, lol.”

— “Unless it’s a pure gaming stream, we’re almost always in the Virtaverse. It’s essential.”

Virtaverse.
That was the name viewers used for the metaverse that VirtuKing had created.

The word “metaverse” originally described a fusion of virtual and real. Back when 2D content dominated, the boundary between metaverse and standard 2D streams was clear. But with the rise of capsule-based VR, that line had blurred significantly.

Still, even in this new era, operating as a virtual character versus using your real face remained very different. So the terminology remained split in the gaming world.

Many streamers who didn’t want to reveal their real faces naturally gravitated toward virtual avatars. As their numbers grew, the virtual streamer scene exploded in size.
That said, most streamers still showed their real faces.

“Anyway, when I was planning to invite Phantom, I was gonna create a virtual model for him—but turns out, he already had one ready.”

— “What?! This guy might really join the VirtuFam at this rate.”

— “He was planning to join the Virtaverse from the start, huh?”

— “If you join the VirtuFam, honestly, your career’s pretty much set.”

VirtuKing was clearly trying to bring Dojun into his network, though less blatantly than before.

Dojun picked up on the intention, but for now, played along.

“Yes, I actually planned to go virtual from the beginning.”

“See? Phantom knows what’s up. Virtual is where it’s at right now.”

“I’ve been hearing the same.”

“And here’s something interesting—did you know Phantom made his avatar himself?”

— “Wait, what? Isn’t that hard?”

— “Isn’t he a high schooler? And he made his own virtual model?”

— “It’s probably just a rough sketch, lol.”

— “He hasn’t shown it on cam yet though.”

Dojun had been waiting for the right moment.

If he revealed his avatar now, with VirtuKing hyping it up, it would not only boost his visibility but also create a strong first impression.

Now was the time.

“Actually, I was planning to show it today. And I’m really grateful to get the chance, especially with VirtuKing’s support. Here we go—here’s my virtual character.”

All eyes turned to the screen as Dojun revealed his avatar.

He hadn’t overthought the design—just tried to recreate his own face as faithfully as possible in virtual form.

But his original features were already outstanding, and the result was stunning.

“Whoa… you really made this yourself? I might need to commission you to redo my model at this rate!”

Once VirtuKing opened the praise floodgates, the compliments poured in.

— “Wow, that avatar looks amazing.”

— “Didn’t he say he’s still in high school? This is high school-level work?!”

— “The quality is insane. The detail too.”

— “Avatar’s stupidly good-looking. Might be one of the top male virtual characters out there.”

Dojun smiled in satisfaction.

As he did, his avatar mirrored his expression, the upturned lips giving off a princely vibe straight out of a fantasy comic.

“Man, I really want to bring you into the Fam. I’ll treat you well, I promise~”

“Thanks for the compliments. But as I said, I’m still in high school…”

“Aren’t you a senior? You’re almost an adult—you can decide for yourself!”

“Haha…”

Dojun chuckled awkwardly.

Then VirtuKing suddenly recalled something and turned to him with a curious look.

“Oh right, I heard your first stream’s title was ‘Perfect CSAT Score.’ Was that real?”

— “No way that’s legit.”

— “Obvious clickbait. Newbies pull stuff like that all the time.”

— “Why would someone with a perfect score be streaming? Shouldn’t they be on a scholarship at Korea University?”

“Well, the official results aren’t out yet, but based on my preliminary grading, it was a perfect score.”

“…Wait, seriously?”

“Yes. The test was relatively easy this year, so I’m sure there are other perfect scorers too.”

“Can’t believe people like you actually exist…”

VirtuKing stared in disbelief as Dojun said it like it was nothing.

— “Wasn’t clickbait after all…”

— “This is triggering. He’s good at games and academics? I’m bad at both!”

— “Total ‘mom’s friend’s son’ material.”

— “Cheat code. Absolute god-tier student.”

Dojun’s image was rising fast.

Then, a message popped up in Discord:

[Let’s start now.]

The opening banter was wrapping up.

VirtuKing signaled the beginning, and once Dojun gave the okay, the main content began.

As planned, the joint stream focused on analyzing Dojun’s gameplay.

VirtuKing played the seasoned host, guiding the conversation with prepared questions.

“So, did you find this hidden passage intentionally?”

“Yes. The deduction itself wasn’t hard. I knew if a quest were truly impossible, it would fail outright. Since it didn’t, I figured there had to be a path.”

“When you lit the fire, your aim with the bow was amazing. Was that intentional too?”

“Yes. Shooting isn’t that hard in itself, but you do have to stay aware of the NPCs’ line of sight. That adds some difficulty for beginners.”

Then came the highlight—the part viewers were most curious about.

“Here! This moment was seriously shocking!”

It was the scene where Dojun mimicked a cultist’s voice perfectly and lured out Rahel for an instant kill.

Chat exploded.

— “Legit gave me chills.”

— “He mimicked the cultist’s voice exactly and baited Rahel. I thought he was a real assassin.”

— “I might’ve actually peed a little.”

┗ “That explains the smell…”

┗┗ “So that rumor about underwear sales spiking the next day was true, huh?”

┗┗┗ “LOL. Win for Ssangbangwool.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think it would work. But once I saw it did, I realized how high the freedom in modern games is.”

Dojun stayed humble, but VirtuKing wasn’t letting the moment go just yet.

“Even so, it was so accurate.”

“It’s one of my specialties.”

— “This guy has like ten specialties, lol.”

— “Horseback riding, rope climbing, parkour, voice mimicry, knife skills… Is this what Gen Z seniors are like now?”

— “Perfect CSAT score? That’s just the default these days.”

— “VirtuKing! Make him do an impression!”

VirtuKing caught the chat buzz and leaned in.

“Can you mimic other people’s voices too?”

“Unless it’s a really unique voice, I can usually get close.”

“Then… could you do mine?”

VirtuKing’s voice was deep and distinctive.

Mimicking someone wasn’t just about the voice—it involved their tone, expression, gestures, and speaking habits.

Dojun, however, had a talent for all of it.

Even short interactions gave him enough data to emulate someone convincingly.

“Hmm… okay, let me try. Ah, ah… mm-hmm…”

VirtuKing’s eyes widened.

“Whoa… you only did the filler sounds, but it’s already spot-on.”

“Let me try a full line. Anything’s fine, right?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Dojun’s lips curled mischievously.

“Mmm… Everyone, don’t send me donations today. Send them to Phantom instead. I make plenty, so let’s support our guest.”

As he nailed VirtuKing’s voice and tone, chat exploded.

— “LMAO that’s perfect!”

— “Even the filler sounds were spot-on. Nailed VirtuKing’s habits.”

— “Okay, VirtuKing said to donate to Phantom—say no more!”

— “We’re only doing it because you said so!”

— “He’s rich anyway~ Gotta support Phantom!”

As the joke landed, donations began pouring into Dojun’s stream.

★★ ‘VirtuKingVibes’ donated 30,000 KRW. ★★

★★ ‘YouKnowTheVirtuDoc?’ donated 10,000 KRW. ★★

★★ ‘ObedientDog’ donated 50,000 KRW. ★★

·
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“Wh-what!? No, guys, don’t be fooled! That wasn’t me!”

VirtuKing yelled in mock panic. Dojun, still imitating him, replied:

“Ah, thank you so, so much~ Don’t be fooled by that fake. That’s Phantom in a VirtuKing costume.”

“Then you must be me in a Phantom costume?”

VirtuKing pulled a playful pout, but he was clearly enjoying it.

The improvisation made the stream wildly entertaining, and the content review segment wrapped up with high energy and lots of laughs.

By the end, the two were casually calling each other “hyung” and “dongsaeng”—like old friends.

“Well, that wraps up our segment with Phantom. Feels like it ended too soon.”

— “Their chemistry was seriously great.”

— “Haven’t laughed this hard in a while.”

— “VirtuKing!! You have to recruit Phantom to the Fam!”

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

VirtuKing had been ready to drop the next segment if the response was bad, but now he saw a green light.

He tossed out a teaser, giving Dojun a subtle cue.

“I’m not ready to end the stream yet… Phantom, want to try a game with me?”

“A game?”

“Yeah. There’s a mission reward. If you beat it, it’s all yours.”

Just like they discussed in advance.

Chat immediately chimed in.

— “Wait… is it that one?”

— “Bro… don’t do this on your first collab…”

— “Bringing out that game already? Poor guy’s gonna need therapy.”

“I’m down, but the chat seems worried…”

“Ignore them. It’s not that hard.”

“They keep telling me to run away, though…”

“They’re just being dramatic, like always.”

— “How dare you throw us under the bus!?”

— “You want a fight? I have a white belt in Taekwondo!”

— “Run, Phantom! That way lies madness!!”

“If it’s that easy, why don’t you do it, hyung?”

Dojun teased, and VirtuKing chuckled.

“It’s a guest-only mission. No one’s beaten it yet. There’s a deadline, and failure means a penalty. But the prize? Three million won!”

“Wait… 3 million?”

Dojun already knew, but played it up like he was enticed.

To be fair, he really was enticed.

“It’s simple. Just team up with one of our VirtuFam streamers and clear a horror game. If you’re quick, you can do it in 30 minutes.”

“Then I’m in. No question!”

The chat groaned.

— “Lord… another one’s fallen.”

— “What sin did he commit in his past life…”

— “He’ll learn what psychological trauma really means today.”

“Alright, that’s a yes! Hold on, I’ll bring her in.”

VirtuKing disappeared briefly.

Ding~

A new user entered the Discord call.

“Okay~ here she is. Your partner for today’s game is… Airi.”

“Airi!?”

Airi.
A member of the virtual idol group Miracle Idol—currently the hottest act on the scene—and the “eldest sister” of VirtuKing’s VirtuFam.