The Divine Genius’s Game Broadcasting Chapter 3

Episode 3 – The tutorial is too easy (1)

The sharp liquid with soft foam stimulated the esophagus. Lee Kyung-bok, who had easily emptied the 500cc glass, looked at his friend in front of him.

“This is like a dog.”

Childhood best friend.

Choi Byeong-hun, a close friend of ten years who had been with him since high school, took a deep breath.

“That kid doesn’t even know his stuff. To be honest, 70% of that kid’s subscribers were gathered thanks to me.”

“What the hell.”

“… … I guess I’ll just give it my all. But honestly, half of it is my fault. Anyway, is it okay to treat a founding father like this?”

Choi Byeong-hun frowned and pretended to hit his neck with the blade of his hand.

"What did you say that made me cut it?"

"No, you're saying that the number of viewers has started to decrease recently? The increase in subscribers has also slowed down. But that's to be expected."

"okay?"

"Oh. But this kid can't stand it and gets really impatient. So I'm there to comfort him and do all kinds of crazy things. I told him that if he just endures a little bit and maintains his style, he'll explode. But ha…"

Choi Byeong-hun gulped down his beer as if his stomach was burning.

"In the end, you didn't listen to me and followed other YouTubers?"

"I told you so. That's why I told him not to do it, but he rolled his eyes and kept yelling at me to get out if that's the case, so I ended up leaving."

“Who is the new editor?”

“Would you like me to tell you? You must have brought some cheap rascal. I guarantee you, you’ll be done in less than a month.”

“Then you’ll come back? Is it possible to get a new job?”

When Lee Kyung-bok asked with a smirk, Choi Byeong-hun got goosebumps.

“Oh, no. I should have listened to you a long time ago.”

“When I tell you not to rush the contract, you ignore me.”

“Ah, I know now… Stop it. I’m regretting it now, as if I’m seeing it in a flash.”

“From now on, listen to me carefully, hyung. Okay?”

Choi Byeong-hun had nothing to say in response to Lee Kyung-bok's teasing. Instead, he picked up a soju glass and a beer glass and drank.

“Tseup, I knew things would work out somehow. Anyway, what happened to you?”

"me?"

Choi Byeong-hun, who had prepared his own drink, poured Lee Gyeong-bok's empty glass.

Lee Kyung-bok didn't answer until the beer was completely empty. Then he clinked his glasses again without saying a word.

After the glass was emptied, Choi Byeong-hun glanced around.

“… …Is it serious?”

“Well, it’s not serious to me.”

Lee Kyung-bok let out a hollow laugh. Choi Byeong-hun became furious at his explanation.

“Isn’t that a total lunatic?!”

“Hey, keep your voice down.”

“No, wow. It wasn’t just any son of a bitch, it was a great son of a bitch?”

I had already heard several stories about how strange the shooter was. But I never thought he would frame me.

Choi Byeong-hun waved his hand as if he had been waiting.

“Hey, okay. To be honest, it wasn’t a good company either.”

“That’s true too.”

“And I always say, you and sales aren’t a good fit for each other. I guess… … .”

Choi Byeong-hun closed his mouth as he spoke. Then he looked around cautiously to see if anyone was listening.

But no one overheard their conversation in the noisy pub.

“What? I told you, you don’t get along well with ‘that’ thing.”

Even though they have been friends for over 10 years, Choi Byung-hoon has not found a word to replace Lee Kyung-bok's 'that'.

Since ancient times, Lee Gyeong-bok has occasionally displayed an unusual appearance.

He would suddenly stop and stare blankly, or stare blankly at people he wasn't particularly close to.

But what was more amazing was his ability to discern people. Lee Kyung-bok accurately picked out people who would be harmful.

To call it 'intuition' was a bit lacking, and the expression 'instinct' felt too light.

“The company doesn’t appreciate your efforts.”

“… … There’s no way to explain it, so there’s nothing I can do.”

“No, that’s what I’m saying.”

Lee Kyung-bok would let go if he thought the sales partner would be a problem. But he couldn't clearly explain why.

A friend like Choi Byung-hoon who had been friends for a long time would accept it, but to others, it would just seem eccentric.

But what about the company?

It was inevitable that he would be seen as a slacker or incompetent employee, and it was only natural that his work life would not be smooth.

“To be frank, are you the one who’s at a loss? The company is at a loss. Since they lost their human judgement expert, the company won’t last long either.”

“Am I some kind of chick s*xer?”

When Lee Kyung-bok burst out laughing, Choi Byeong-hun also laughed back.

“That’s what they say. Ana, but no one, you or I, really understands. Is this how Gongming felt before meeting Yu-bi?”

“You’re talking nonsense again.”

“Honestly, we say that we can succeed if we just meet the right people. Right? They recognize our true value to the point where they’re willing to go to great lengths to find out… .”

Choi Byeong-hun, who was chewing on the basic side dish, stopped talking. Then, he looked at Lee Gyeong-bok with slightly dilated pupils.

“Hey, now that you mention it, you played some games too.”

"ok?"

“Now that I think about it, I remember. When we were in high school, you got offers to join three different teams. And three of them.”

“Oh, that… … .”

Lee Kyung-bok trailed off with a bitter smile.

One of the paths that students who have no interest in studying take is gaming, and Lee Kyung-bok was one of those students.

The only difference was that his physical strength was so outstanding that he was aiming to become a pro.

“Hey, have you ever thought about broadcasting?”

When Choi Byeong-hun asked slyly, Lee Gyeong-bok frowned.

“What broadcast?”

“Of course it’s a game broadcast. Do you think I’m going to tell you to cam with a guy?”

Lee Kyung-bok waved his hand while making a noise.

“No, are you crazy? Don’t you remember why I quit the game?”

When he received the offer to join the team, Lee Kyung-bok also thought it was an opportunity. But strangely enough, after that, whenever he played a game, he suffered from pain of unknown cause.

It was only after hearing my grandmother's story that I realized that was the price for using the magic.

At the time, I somehow endured it and took the entrance exam, but of course, the result was the worst.

After that, whenever I tried to play games, I would get sick and eventually give up. On top of that, bad things kept happening, so I forgot about games and lived my life.

“What is that…? That’s called a ‘new soldier’?”

"maybe."

boot.

It was a saying that usually referred to illnesses that occurred when a shaman did not receive a spirit's possession.

Of course, Lee Gyeong-bok was not a shaman, but there was no other way to describe him.

Lee Kyung-bok tried to change the subject. But Choi Byeong-hun did not give up easily.

“But it’s okay now.”

"ok?"

“Unlike our time, capsules are the trend these days.”

The history of games has entered a new turning point with the development of virtual reality technology.

The spread of capsules, virtual reality access devices that are similar to reality. Now, computers are mostly used for business purposes, and even those are gradually disappearing.

“There are so many people who play games even though they have some kind of physical disability or disability. So even that boring streamer… … Oh, I’m suddenly getting angry.”

Choi Byeong-hun swept his hair back exaggeratedly and glanced at Lee Gyeong-bok's expression.

“Anyway, you’re saying that you’re using this place, not your body. Maybe you’ll be okay now, too?”

“Hmm… … .”

Lee Kyung-bok sighed as he watched his friend tapping his head. Now that he heard it, it seemed like it was the right thing to say.

'Me on air?'

Lee Kyung-bok recalled his school days.

The days when I didn't know anything and just had fun, the satisfaction I felt seeing people surprised by my gaming skills and their reactions.

Lee Kyung-bok was not a person who was embarrassed by the attention he received.

“Oh, but isn’t using your body a bit different?”

In the meantime, Choi Byeong-hun snickered and provoked. It was an obvious move, but Lee Gyeong-bok decided to let it slide.

“Shall we try it?”

"test?"

“I drank a bit today, so I’m a bit tired. Can I go back tomorrow?”

"call?"

"call."

The two friends laughed and drank their glasses.

* * *

The next day.

“Welcome.”

The capsule room staff greeted the guests in a businesslike tone. Two men arrived early in the morning on a weekday.

The employee smiled, hoping that the two were not real.

“Can I register an account here?”

“Yes, it is possible.”

“Hey, Lee Kyung-bok.”

Choi Byeong-hun gestured to Lee Gyeong-bok.

Lee Kyung-bok, who came to the capsule room for the first time, was looking at the newly changed facilities.

“Come here and get your physical identification done.”

“Wow… … It really has gotten better. I thought it was some kind of capsule hotel.”

“If you go somewhere and say something like that, people will ask if you have any backbone. Okay, just hurry up and register an account.”

At his friend's urging, Lee Kyung-bok walked even more slowly. But the joke was short-lived.

Lee Kyung-bok put his hand into the authentication machine. After his fingerprint and vein were recognized, his identity was revealed.

“Mr. Lee Kyung-bok, is that right?”

“It would be right if it wasn’t someone else’s hand cut off and glued on.”

“Can’t you just keep your mouth shut?”

As Choi Byeong-hun spoke, Lee Gyeong-bok snapped back. The employee tried to control his expression, then opened his eyes wide when he saw the information on the screen.

“Ah… … You’ve never used a capsule before?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Sorry, please wait a moment. I thought you were registering for our capsule room membership… … .”

The staff never thought that there could be adults who did not have a capsule account at all.

To that extent, Lee Gyeong-bok was a rare breed.

“Yes, you have registered. The usage time is… … .”

“Please pay later first.”

“Yes, I understand. You can use the A-6 capsule.”

The two stood in front of the capsule after receiving guidance from the staff. After receiving simple instructions on how to use the capsule, Lee Kyung-bok opened it.

“I’ll wait outside just in case.”

Choi Byeong-hun's expression became quite serious. It was not impossible that the 'new soldier' would be defeated again.

Lee Kyung-bok nodded and laid down inside the capsule.

As I started operating the capsule as instructed, my view changed in an instant.

"woah."

Although he had clearly been lying down just a moment ago, Lee Kyung-bok felt his body stepping on the floor.

“Wow, sir… … .”

Even the clothes I was wearing changed.

Strangely enough, the texture and feel of the clothes, and even the faint smell of the fabric, felt real.

Although I received guidance from the staff, actually experiencing it was something else.

'It doesn't hurt.'

After a brief moment of admiration, came worry.

Fortunately, however, I didn't feel as much pain as before. But even so, my tense body didn't relax easily.

[Move your body gently to sync.]

Then a blue system message appeared before his eyes. Lee Kyung-bok followed the instructions and lightly stretched his body.

“Wow… … This is crazy.”

Then the exclamation comes again.

I knew in my head that this body was fake, just data, but it felt completely different.

It felt like his original body, from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.

[Sync completed.]

[Move around as much as you want.]

A doll appeared in a space painted white with a friendly message. It looked similar to a dummy used in traffic accident experiments.

“… … This is fu*king awesome.”

Lee Kyung-bok lightly threw punches and kicks at the dummy, and gradually increased the intensity.

'Still, this isn't true.'

If this were real life, my whole body would be freezing from the recoil, and I would have to sweat a little from the intense movement.

However, excluding such shortcomings, only the crisp impact was alive, and the comfortable condition was maintained without a single drop of sweat.

'however…….'

Lee Kyung-bok felt something strange.

I felt it vividly in sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. However, a strange feeling that was difficult to explain with the five senses stimulated my brain.

'Is this what it's like in virtual reality?'

There was no one here to answer his questions right away. Since it wasn't inconvenient, Lee Kyung-bok just brushed it off.

[Are you familiar enough?]

The system message that appears next.

[How about taking a motor skills test?]

[(Testing is optional. You may finish the tutorial.)

Below that message, a brief video was playing showing what kind of test it was.

[Obstacle Race]

[Avoid obstacles that may appear from anywhere and reach the goal. Speed is important, but don't forget to be careful!]

The person in the video is running quickly when he suddenly loses his balance after a pillar protrudes from the wall.

That alone was enough to figure out what the method was.

Obstacle course is the most basic element in virtual reality, and it was a basic test that included the brainpower expressed through judgment, improvisation, and board design, which are most necessary in the game, as well as the physicality expressed through strength, stamina, speed, and reflexes.

The 'VR Spoon Theory', which is classified by records as the first tutorial you encounter when entering virtual reality, also heated up South Korea.

Lee Gyeong-bok thought for a moment and then relaxed slightly.

'If it goes well, I'll have to ask Byung-Hoon about his records too.'

Lee Kyung-bok smiled and pressed OK, thinking about teasing his friend.

The space changed in an instant, just as the dummy appeared.

A wall was immediately erected in the vast space and the lights dimmed. At the edge of the passage, in the thick darkness, an obstacle would appear.

"huh?"

The timer started to tick as the clock started to tick, but Lee Kyung-bok did not move.

He just blinked and turned his head from side to side.

'what?'

The hidden obstacles were invisible and inaudible. They had no smell and it was impossible to touch them.

But what happened?

'That's strange.'

In the dark, under the floor, under the ceiling, etc.

The presence of obstacles was vividly felt.

Only then did Lee Gyeong-bok realize.

That the divine power is manifested without any pain.

'Are you okay?'