DCRBG 06

Chapter 6

Hot Debut (2)

3.

The viewers’ reactions were even more explosive than I’d imagined.

• ?????

• ???????????????

• ???????????

• What the hell was that just now?

• ??????????

• A one-shot kill on Red Drake??????

The chat window filled with endless hook-shaped emotes.

Felt damn good.

I casually flicked the blood off my hand and spoke smoothly.

“Fake dragons like this aren’t worth more than the toy T-Rex I used to play with as a kid.”

One of the most important things in streaming is, of course, the concept.

Depending on the concept, the whole vibe of the stream changes.

So I had been thinking for a while.

A friendly guide-stream like Inseop’s?

Nah. That market is already oversaturated. Besides, I’m a ‘newbie’ who’s only just returned to Earth.

I don’t know the first thing about walkthroughs.

But judging from the level of this Red Drake guy, there was one thing I could say for sure.

“Red Drake? Guys, this thing’s a 4th-floor monster, right? I wouldn’t know, since today’s literally my first day in the Abyss.”

• ??????

• Please, explain, I beg you.

• Who the hell is this guy???? Ranker???

• Did Inseop have a ranker friend like this?

• Wasn’t Red Drake supposed to be an elite? Did he really just die in one hit?

• Whoa;;;;;

• Somebody clip this;;;;;

Abyss monsters?

Weaker than I expected.

Honestly, it felt like I could blaze through the 4th floor right now if they let me.

But since the Abyss’ system makes you climb from the 1st floor step by step, I’d have to play along.

So, what’s the best concept I can choose here?

Truth is, the answer was already decided.

A flashy power-show stream. With a side of newbie flavor.

• Info) Red Drake Elite ranks 4th among causes of death on the 4th floor.

• Is this staged?

• No but seriously, what the hell?

• Anyone know who this guy is?

• Didn’t he call himself Meteor earlier?

• Remember that streamer who died live to Red Drake? That’s why Abyss streams now have a mandatory 5-second delay, right?

Everyone was freaking out about how dangerous Red Drake was and couldn’t believe what they’d just seen.

So, according to my concept, my next line had to be…

“Hm. That’s all?”

That’s the one.

And sure enough, the chat showered me with hooks again.

Some even started accusing me of faking it, but honestly? That just made me even happier.

This.

This was the taste of attention I had longed for.

The kind of attention I had never once experienced back when I was just a no-name streamer or a hidden warrior.

I could get drunk on this.

“Hyung!”

While I was basking in this joy, Inseop suddenly rushed over in a panic.

“Hyung, what you just did… what the hell….”

Even he was stammering.

“Sorry, man.”
“No, I mean, hyung—”
“I’m not feeling too well today, you know? Normally the head wouldn’t be the only thing popping, the whole body should’ve exploded. Ha… guess the Abyss is tougher than I thought. Fair enough.”
“…Hyung?”

I said it nonchalantly, but Inseop just stared wide-eyed at me.

His gaze trembled, but being a pro, he pulled himself together fast. In a shaky voice, he said:

“Hyung, shouldn’t you at least properly… introduce yourself?”
“I already did.”
“What?”
“Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m Meteor, a second-hand newbie MiTuber on my first day in the Abyss.”

• Meteor?

• ???

• I checked—this guy doesn’t even have 10k subs, total nobody.

• Latest video’s from 7 years ago.

• ??????

• What floor player is this guy?

• Inseop, you better explain properly, dude.

The flood of attention made it impossible to hold back my smile.

Being in the spotlight—it’s electrifying. The best.

“I need some explanation too, folks. Sungwoo-hyung, just a second.”

Inseop had already adapted to my concept and whispered to me quietly.

“Hyung, seriously, what’s going on? Explain.”
“Inseop, how much do you trust me?”
“You were hiding being a player from me, weren’t you? You said this was your first day.”
“It is.”
“Then how the hell do you one-shot Red Drake on your first day! To kill that thing in one blow, you need at least to be a 6th-floor-level player!”
“Players on the 6th floor are only that strong?”

Looks like I could really sweep this place.

If I can do this much with just 10%… wouldn’t 50% be enough to conquer the whole world?

Ah, but I’ll think about that later.

“So, you trust me or not?”
“I do. We’re sworn brothers, aren’t we?”
“Then you do what I say.”

By now, all the trainees had gathered, and every single drone camera was pointed at me.

In other words, every screen was focused on me.

I brushed some dust off my clothes, smiled brightly, and nodded.

“Then allow me to formally introduce myself.”

Content always needs to make people crave what’s next.

That’s true for dramas, novels, comics—and streaming, too.

You’ve got to leave them hungry.

So, what’s the best way to really drive people crazy with anticipation?

“I am…”

The answer is simple:

“…I’ll tell you next time. Stream over.”

$Broadcasthasended.$

The classic cliffhanger move.

Good thing I memorized the shutdown command earlier.

This’ll drive them wild, no doubt.

“Hyung! What the hell are you doing!”
“When people get cut off mid-sentence, it pisses them off.”
“…What?”
“Which makes them even more curious. Am I wrong?”
“Wow. Hyung, you’re seriously….”

That’s right, Inseop.

It’s me.

The guy who’s obsessed with streaming.

That’s who I am.

4.

We exited the Abyss.

Unlike the colorful interior, the gray-toned city outside looked gloomy by comparison.

Even the air inside the Abyss felt fresher… or was that just me?

“Checking for injuries again! If anyone’s hurt, speak up now!”
“Gyutae, report the transfer phenomenon to the Ability Management Bureau.”
“Yes, sir.”

The stream may have ended because of my choice, but Inseop and his crew actually thanked me.

They said if it weren’t for me, someone would have definitely died.

The viewers might not realize it, but these people saw my strength firsthand.

Especially Shin Taeseok, the cameraman who had been kindly explaining things to me—he even cried while thanking me.

His wife’s about to give birth, and if something had happened to him today, it would’ve been disastrous.

Oh, and the other newbie trainees also showered me with gratitude.

Especially two of them.

Those two were—

“Red Drake. My brother once told me it’s a monstrously troublesome opponent.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“If it weren’t for you, Sungwoo-nim, I’d be dead.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“My brother and I repay every debt. I will never forget this favor—not until the day I die.”

Kim Junseo, younger brother of one of Korea’s top rankers, grabbed both my hands and stared at me with burning eyes.

Not a fan of holding hands with dudes, but the guy’s sincerity was undeniable.

His eyes alone looked hot enough to grill a steak.

“I must know the secret of your strength. Here, my card. If you ever need the smallest help from us brothers…”
“Aw, you shouldn’t have. We all have to help each other out, right?”

Turns out Junseo had been pretty close to Red Drake earlier too.

Apparently, he’d been petrified by the monster’s fear aura.

“I’ll just take the thought…”

I was about to politely decline when Inseop whispered in my ear.

“Junseo’s brother, Kim Doyun? Total mystery man, never does interviews. But he’s obsessed with his little brother.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. If you ever invite him onto MiTube, it’d be insane content.”
“Reaaally?”

So, a prime content opportunity, huh.

No reason to push that away.

“…Hehe, I’ll be sure to call you later.”

When I smiled and said that, Junseo’s eyes blazed again and he nodded furiously.

“I’d follow you into hell itself! You’re my savior!”
“Haha, such passion!”

His number was on the card, so I’ll save it later under ‘Flame Guy.’

After Junseo left, the 1-million-sub MiTuber Choi Seoyeon came over.

Her reaction wasn’t much different.

Except she spoke with her head bowed slightly.

“Thank you so much for saving me. If not for you, Sungwoo-ssi, I’d be dead.”
“It’s really fine.”
“I… I can’t stand being in debt to anyone… how should I repay you….”

All this gratitude was starting to weigh on me.

Still, I could tell she was being sincere despite the awkward delivery.

That was enough.

“Really, it’s fine.”
“Even so…”
“Well, how about this—Seoyeon-ssi, would you appear on my MiTube sometime? I’m planning to start streaming again. It’d be a huge help.”

At that, Seoyeon lifted her head with a bright expression.

“If you invite me, I’ll come anytime!”
“Thank you so much.”
“And I’ll promote your channel on mine too. Seriously, thank you!”

And with that, Seoyeon’s thanks were wrapped up.

The other two trainees also gave their thanks before leaving.

I watched them walk away and turned to Inseop.

“So what do we do now that today’s content is ruined? Sorry, man.”
“Why are you sorry? The transfer phenomenon was the problem.”
“If I’m sorry, then I’m sorry.”
“Hyung, if it weren’t for you, people would’ve died today.”

…Fair enough.

If Inseop says so, then so be it.

“Alright, let’s wrap this up quick! Everyone, stop by the hospital first. Send me proof shots, and if anyone has problems, I’ll cover all treatment costs.”
“Yes, sir!”
“This was a transfer phenomenon. Don’t you dare skip the hospital out of laziness. I mean it, no excuses.”

What a good boss.

Taking care of his people like that.

The staff hurried to pack up their equipment. Inseop and I watched for a moment, then slowly looked around.

“By the way, Inseop—what exactly is a transfer phenomenon?”
“The Abyss has rules for each floor. Like, on the 1st floor only monsters below level 20 appear. Stuff like that. A transfer phenomenon is when those basic rules break down.”
“Complicated.”
“Think of it simply—if something happens that shouldn’t, it’s all a transfer phenomenon. And until now, none had ever occurred on the 1st floor.”

So this was the first time, all because of me?

Looks like the Abyss isn’t on my side. Otherwise, why would it break its own rules just to mess with me?

“Ugh, what a pain.”
“Why?”
“Because when a transfer phenomenon happens, the Bureau of Ability Management always investigates. I’ll be interrogated since I’m the shoot director, and you—oh, right. You said you’re not even registered with the Bureau, right?”
“Yeah. Pretty sure my identity still isn’t restored either.”
“That’s… another headache. How are we supposed to—”

Bzzzzzt—!

Suddenly, a vibration rang out.

It was Inseop’s phone.

He checked it, then chuckled in disbelief.

“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“Look at this. This is insane.”

What was he making a fuss about?

I took his phone and checked.

It was a real-time community board. The top posts were:

「Who the hell is Meteor?」
「Video) Clip from Inseop’s live stream just now.」
「Why did Inseop’s broadcast blow up?」
「Video) Unknown player one-shots Red Drake Elite」
「Inseop, if you don’t go live again right now, you’re dead」
「Seriously, who the hell is Meteor????????」

The community was already blowing up.

I grinned in satisfaction and nodded.

“Damn… now this is a hot debut.”

Cheetah, on the run…!