NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 134 – The Devil Wears Purple (1)
The return of Demon Must Cry.
The shocking yet joyful news was enough to shake everyone's emotions.
-I never thought Demerk would come out in virtual reality!
-Is it that great of a game?
-Sit down, I'm going to tell you an awesome story!
-Kingdom Hearts Demerk is still super fun even on consoles right now ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-The action is amazing? Then there's a high chance that it was done in Demerk first.
-Ah, that's what 'cool' is.
The news alone was exciting enough, but there was one person who made everyone there even happier.
-I'm saying that a cool Smurf is playing that cool game!
-Playing Demerk with Fuzzy? I can't stand this lol
-Really lol If Godple did it, it would be beyond imagination
-Please play it quickly! I'm getting dizzy!
-Open the dog gum door! Open the dog gum door! Open the dog gum door!
-(Because you're happy) You're dizzy, right?
Lee Kyung-bok has already shown off 'stylish' plays in other games.
But what if you decide to play a game that promotes 'stylish action'?
The viewers couldn't hide their anticipation at all.
And there was another person who couldn't hide his trembling just as much as those viewers.
“Th, th… … Then is it possible to experience it right now, right now?”
Shin Hye-rim tried to remain calm, but her shaking voice did not stabilize at all.
She was in a state of catharsis like she had never felt before.
A completely unexpected scoop, and one that as a reporter you may only come across once or twice in your life.
'If the experience video is also released here… … !'
It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was literally a life-changing event.
But unfortunately, the staff betrayed her expectations.
“Ahaha, it’s still too early to reveal the experimental build. As I said before, the ‘reveal’ part is exclusive to Metagamer and Godple, but the ‘play’ part will be left entirely to Godple.”
“Ah… I see… … ”
Shin Hye-rim showed her regret so openly that it was almost as if she forgot she was on air. However, her appearance actually evoked sympathy from viewers.
-Oh lol the reporter's eyes are gloomy
-King Jik, metagamers are the ones who eat beans~
-Really lol this is totally a blessing
-The only 'real' thing that Gaegum wants is Godple!
-Oh my! Who dares to disparage me by calling me a dog without a ponytail?
-That's right lol. At this level, it's worthy of being called King Gum.
-Not even a gumdrop?
-Ah lol, God is already using Godple
-Irrefutable lol
Although the atmosphere was very lively, Lee Gyeong-bok just had a faint smile on his face.
The employee who confirmed this belatedly quickly added.
“Ah! Of course, all of these plans require Godple’s consent.”
At those words, Shin Hye-rim suddenly turned her head. Although she didn't say anything, I could read her intentions just from her eyes.
Not only her, but also 10,000 fans on site and over 60,000 viewers.
Everyone was waiting for his answer. It was an atmosphere where it would be difficult for most people to refuse.
However, Lee Gyeong-bok was not an ordinary person.
'There's nothing particularly wrong with this proposal.'
He calmly collected his thoughts without being swept away by the atmosphere.
First of all, the inherent magic judged that this would not lead to 'bad luck' or 'misfortune'.
Lee Kyung-bok took a short breath and chose his words.
“First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to CAP COMPANY for putting me first.”
He pushed his luck.
As if they were not going to miss a single word, the noise inside the booth and even the fans on site held their breath.
“Biocrisis and Bark were my first games. Not just streaming, but my first virtual reality game. That’s how meaningful the game is to me.”
The chat window shook as the words continued.
-Wow lol I'm so touched
-Ah haha this is President Bae!
-President Ba hasn't forgotten us!
-Huh? Why am I crying?
-Smer, who doesn't forget the basics?
-Look at the Bakrits looking at the Holy Buddha statues ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is this the angle that receives the invincibility ticket?
The first fan base that emerged were fans of Biocrisis, who loved him and therefore understood even if he wasn't mentioned.
“And my feelings towards CAP COMPANY, who developed the game, are the same.”
"ah……!"
The staff was delighted.
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However, Lee Gyeong-bok's later words were different from everyone's expectations.
“That is why I have no choice but to decline your offer at this time.”
At those words, Shin Hye-rim's face turned pale and the staff member looked anxious.
Question marks kept popping up in the chat window.
-to?
-You refuse this?
-What, what is this… …!?
-Your Majesty! Your Majesty, why on earth?!
-Didn't you make a mistake when you gave out homework before?
-Kingly's God-like spirit activates!
-Oh lol I went from King Gum to Dog Gum right away
At such a strong reaction, Lee Kyung-bok just laughed in vain and waved his hand.
“No, that doesn’t mean I won’t do it. I just want to be more careful about how we create content together.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I don’t do broadcasting alone. I will discuss the details with my manager and editor.”
Everyone let out a small sigh at the explanation that followed.
-Wow lol this is right
-Now that I think about it, you're wrong lol
-If it was any other sm, I would have bowed and accepted it right away lol
-Isn't it an environment that would be difficult for anyone to refuse?
-Really lol I answered in 1 second
– Seems like a real decompression master
-Is this the prestige of a black company president?
-Ah haha, not just anyone can do it
-I respect the opinions of my employees, so why are they black? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Anyway, it's black lol
The viewers' excitement also subsided at his answer. However, their admiration grew even greater.
This much attention must have been overwhelming at times. Other people would have probably responded by saying they would be swept up in the atmosphere or would have been afraid of missing the opportunity right in front of them.
But Lee Gyeong-bok was different.
-I thought you were only good at judging situations in games lol
-How big is the gallbladder, you ask?
-Is this the 'Perfect Dam'?
-The prefix meme is really perfect ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋ
-The atmosphere is not bad, they even put up a dog gum and respect the barkrits ㅋㅋㅋ
It's a situation that would fluster even an experienced streamer, but he clearly stated his position.
And there was no one who did not understand that position.
-Smerga has been dealing with this for two months?
-Ah, that's 'perfect'
-The real Godple is Jin-guk… …
-???: Behold, the completion of a world where no one gets hurt.
-Ndss kick me out!
-How do you know if it's a nerd or a fan?
-Oh my… … !
-Oh my god, lol
The employee breathed a sigh of relief at that answer.
“Oh, of course! Of course, I didn’t ask for an immediate answer here. I was planning on making a formal contract proposal.”
Naturally, the contract could not be signed at this point. And the developer did not intend to put pressure on Lee Kyung-bok.
“I just wanted to reveal that our headquarters’ determination is so strong that it can be revealed to everyone who loves our game, including those gathered here.”
What the developers were aiming for was to keep 'other game companies' in check.
Although Lee Kyung-bok didn't know it, there were also employees from CAP COMPNAY at the V-STAR Business Center.
In order to gain an advantage in the 'purple recruitment' competition that began with the change in market share, they pulled out their trump card.
“Enough has been conveyed.”
Lee Kyung-bok responded to those words with a smile.
“Thank you! Now, please watch the teaser video we prepared.”
The employee lightly clapped his hands and operated the smart link.
A short video was played along with it, announcing the revival of Demon Must Cry.
* * *
The eventful game show tour has come to an end.
But Lee Kyung-bok and his friends had no time to rest. The three held an emergency meeting.
The location was set as a virtual reality studio because we didn't want to waste time meeting in real life.
“I got an email right after the presentation.”
Park Joo-ho announced the start of the meeting with a serious expression. The agenda was, of course, Demon Must Cry.
But before he could continue speaking, Choi Byeong-hun raised his hand to stop him.
"for a moment."
“What is it?”
“I know it’s urgent, but… … can you change that avatar?”
Choi Byung-hoon said, looking Park Joo-ho up and down. He was still armed with Sweeties goods.
“No, I can’t concentrate.”
Park Joo-ho glared at him for a moment before manipulating his smart link. He returned to his semi-formal attire, the default preset.
“Ahem, if I explain further, what you want is FGT.”
“FGT? What is that?”
Lee Kyung-bok wrinkled his nose at the unfamiliar term that suddenly appeared.
“FGT is an abbreviation for Focus Group Test. However, it is a little different from the general FGT.”
“Hey, let me explain what FGT is first so you know what the general one is.”
Choi Byeong-hun added to Lee Gyeong-bok's words.
“You know about beta testing?”
“Oh, I know that.”
“You can think of it as a similar concept. But here, focus groups are where the developers extract data from testers who are categorized by certain criteria.”
“The criteria could be gender, age, or even skill. You were probably chosen based on skill.”
Park Joo-ho added a word.
Lee Kyung-bok nodded at the explanation of his two friends.
“But what’s a bit strange is that FGT is usually kept private.”
“If it’s private, what about Club?”
“Oh. If it were to be made public, other groups could see the test and be influenced. But this time, it’s a bit unusual that it’s being released on air.”
Choi Byung-hoon tilted his head. On the other hand, Park Joo-ho adjusted his glasses and his eyes sparkled.
“I think I know why.”
The two friends' gazes turned to those words. Park Joo-ho simply manipulated the smart link and opened the Q-Tube channel.
And a list of images projected as holograms.
“I only saw it on video, but you experienced it firsthand, so you’ll remember.”
That was the list of Biocrisis videos.
“They already had issues with Bark. The difficulty adjustment failed, and the disconnect between gameplay and cutscenes. Those were the two issues.”
The developers lowered the difficulty level after seeing Lee Kyung-bok's play. Also, there was an incident where Lee Kyung-bok was holding the rocket launcher in the cutscene even though he did not obtain it.
It may be something that the onlookers would laugh off, but the developer's position would have been different.
“There was a need to prevent this kind of problem from happening again. And the solution was to point to Kyungbok, the person involved.”
“Oh… …! That’s right! Most QA testers won’t be able to follow that!”
Choi Byeong-hun opened his eyes with a start and struck the janggu.
“Problems that occur after the official release can be considered a blemish, but finding problems through pre-release testing is directly related to trust. Also, through Kyungbok’s play and viewers’ reactions, we can see how difficult the game feels to real people.”
“Wow, the developers must have thought a lot about it.”
“And above all, Kyungbok is the best influencer for this game.”
“Optimal? What else is there?”
Park Joo-ho nodded slightly.
“Demuck’s core is ‘stylish action’. If it’s Kyungbok, it can show what they expect, or even more. In many ways, it’s worth the risk of the developer making a public announcement.”
“Huh, now that I hear you, you’re right. This kid, he’s really good at thinking.”
Choi Byeong-hun nodded with a broad smile. Park Joo-ho snorted and turned his gaze to Lee Gyeong-bok.
“It’s nice that you rate it so highly. But still, this is business. I have to check the merits first.”
Lee Kyung-bok was satisfied, but he did not forget to distinguish between public and private life. His friends also enthusiastically agreed with his words.
“The terms of the contract can be confirmed at the meeting in person. However, since it has been publicly announced, there is a high probability that the terms will be better than expected.”
“Money is money, but I don’t think there’s any reason to turn it down for other reasons. ‘World’s first’ and ‘exclusive’ content? And it’s not even some random thing, but CAP COMPANY’s Demerk? Man, this is a really hard opportunity to get even if you pay money.”
Lee Kyung-bok smiled and nodded at the words and expectant expressions of his two friends.
“That’s fortunate. I tried to persuade anyone who refused.”
He was already made up his mind before the meeting was even scheduled.
“The response on site was no joke. That’s why I really wanted to try it.”
The streamer's top priority was the viewers' attention, and Lee Kyung-bok felt a surge of desire when he saw them, full of anticipation and excitement.
“It’s unanimous. Let’s schedule a meeting right away.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Okay! Good, good!”
My friends also smiled brightly at that decision.
“Ugh, I won’t be able to sleep again today.”
“Why? Is there a lot of work to be done?”
“Should I ask Madman?”
The two friends asked back at Choi Byeong-hun's words. But he just smiled and shook his head.
“No, kids. No, think about your reaction.”
"reaction?"
“Yeah! There’s already been a fuss in the community, but what’s more important is the article on Metagamer.”
As Choi Byeong-hun spoke, the clown who had gone up did not come down.
“Isn’t it a bit difficult for overseas webzines to publish articles separately because they insist on exclusive releases? But the Metagamer article is finally complete and will be posted?”
It would be strange if news of this magnitude did not spread overseas.
“This is different from Elden Souls.”
Lee Kyung-bok's name was already known overseas when the news of 'Dark Rune Remaster' was revealed along with the clearing of 'Elden Soul'.
“Back then, those kids edited it to suit their taste by removing or changing the names.”
However, at the time, the name 'Purple' was chosen by the editorial department of each webzine. In fact, the Japanese webzine even omitted his name altogether.
But this time it was different.
“But this time, they won’t be able to ‘write’ the article, they’ll only be able to ‘quote’ it.”
In an article in the domestic webzine Metagamer, the names 'Demon Must Cry' and 'Purple' would appear side by side in the headlines.
“As expected, genius is bound to be revealed.”
And the overseas webzine wouldn't be able to change a single word in that article.