NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17
48,000 won.
That’s a whopping 48,000 won.
It’s enough money to buy two rounds of chicken that have skyrocketed in price during these inflation times or to indulge in 6 bowls of 8,000 won soup.
Not to mention, with that amount, I could snag several kilograms of cheap bean sprouts or even a few pairs of bras to hold down my awkwardly bouncing chest…
In short, this near 50,000 won has the potential to do way more than I initially thought.
What’s with all this nonsense suddenly?
So, what I’m saying is, I made 48,000 won.
In just one day.
At first, I couldn’t believe it.
It was a broadcast less than 4 hours long. I just turned on the stream and chatted about Camilla while playing games like I always do.
To think I could earn such money! Even calculated hourly, it far exceeded the minimum wage and left me dumbfounded.
Sure, I had received donations before, but they were merely gathering money at a gallery level… you could say it was more like a fundraiser.
It felt like pooled funds to save a bad game. All that money had to be spent purely on the broadcast.
But this money was different. It was unexpected, unreal, and felt like pure prizes handed straight to me.
I eagerly started to take a closer look at the donation records.
-“Please turn on the mic, take 3.”
-“I love you, sis ㅠㅠ I love you, sis ㅠㅠ I love you, sis ㅠㅠ”
-“Do some ASMR for me!”
…It broke my focus a bit, but they’re still good people for handing out free cash like this.
Truthfully, I couldn’t use the money immediately. Withdrawing the donation wouldn’t be possible until after a waiting period.
But whether it was now or later didn’t matter. What mattered was that I earned money through my broadcast.
First broadcast, first income. Any first experience is unfamiliar and brings a certain thrill.
I decided to cherish this first experience for a while longer.
“Wow….”
As I opened the steaming cardboard box, a sumptuous pizza revealed itself within.
Just looking at its chewy, delightful appearance made my mouth water.
Today, I didn’t want to settle for my usual ramen or bean sprouts; I ordered something nice. But I didn’t go overboard spending just because I made money.
I ordered from a bargain place and even snagged a review event. This expense felt justifiable.
“Thanks for the meal.”
Your support has transformed into this pizza before my eyes.
I bowed my head to the unseen viewers.
“AAAH! No way!”
It was a scream so painful that anyone would think a disaster was happening.
A woman was clutching her head and shrieking in despair.
It wouldn’t have been strange if someone from the next house came knocking, but thankfully, that wasn’t going to happen.
The room the woman was in was completely filled with soundproofing material in a dull gray color.
A soundproof booth. She was shouting inside the soundproof booth.
“Why, why is this happening….”
The woman stared blankly at the computer inside the soundproof booth.
Two main units. And two monitors.
On one monitor, a radiant golden curtain flickered.
On the other monitor, black text scrolled up as if mocking her from a corner of the screen.
[Nigol Ddak! Nigol Ddak! Nigol Ddak! Nigol Ddak! Nigol Ddak!]
[Nigol Ddak Nigol Ddak A fun song, I’ll sing it once too]
[Ugh… Why can’t I remember…? Ugh… Why can’t I remember…? Ugh… Why can’t I remember…?]
[??? : I’m a different breed, so diamonds are easy for me]
[Turns out I was a gold seed pretending to be a diamond, haha]
[I’m Gold 4; we’re friends, right? Hehe]
“AAAH!”
After glancing at the golden curtain and then back at the black text, the woman twisted her body in agony again.
Inside the soundproof booth, there were dual monitors, and a suspiciously powerful computer and mike.
The clues were practically all laid out for her.
Yes, the woman was a streamer and currently live broadcasting. The black text on the screen were chats coming in real time.
Streamer Nicang. She had just been demoted from Platinum to Gold tier.
[Are you awake? Are you awake? Are you awake? Are you awake?]
[Wow! Gold!]
[With the holidays coming, the sight of you going home early is so heartwarming…]
She couldn’t say a word in response to the mocking messages from the viewers.
Yeah, this was a kind of karma.
The karma for all those times she had laughed at those in lower tiers while flaunting her talent.
Nicang had rapidly risen through the tiers with her natural physical skills and game sense, often disregarding those in lower tiers without realizing it.
In fact, she had previously claimed that even the Gold tier she just fell to was too easy after reaching Platinum, saying not to even think about playing with her.
[I’m Plende, I can’t eat while watching Nicang’s stream;;]
[No sharing a table unless you’re Platinum rank ㄷㄷ]
[No simultaneous broadcasting allowed ㄷㄷ]
[Where did the talented primary dealer Nicang go, and who is this gold-tier bug dealer?….]
“Ugh…!”
It’s scratching. Watching the chat, both frustration and sadness swell up in real-time.
Usually, Nicang, who has been putting in effort to improve her broadcast, has rarely expressed her emotions lately.
She was genuinely angry, and she didn’t even realize how infuriating it is to drop tiers and lose after putting in hard work.
‘Why, why am I dropping?’
Leaving behind the noisy chat and donations, Nicang began analyzing the cause of her ongoing losses.
It could be understandable after one or two games. But after suffering consecutive defeats to the point of dropping tiers, she couldn’t blame anyone else anymore.
She didn’t know, but her influence probably wasn’t completely absent from these defeats.
However, no matter how hard she thought, nothing came to mind. Nicang played similarly now as she did before. The only difference was that the game’s outcome changed from winning to losing.
“Seriously, guys. I’m asking because I really don’t get it. Has my performance really dropped?”
[??? Seriously?]
[You’ve gotten worse for real ㄹㅇ]
[For a gold dealer, you’re doing pretty well though, lol]
[Hmm… I have a lot to say, but I won’t bother.]
In times like this, it’s best to harness the power of collective intelligence.
Indeed, there were plenty of aggravating comments, but amidst them, a solution emerged.
[M1) The host used to be good but started doing worse at some point. Unlike before, now she can’t get the damage angles right during team fights and awkwardly stumbles to her death. Seems like she’s at the gold level now.]
…It hurt, but Nicang secretly accepted it.
Her performance had indeed dropped at some point. At some point.
‘It feels somewhat familiar.’
Though she couldn’t pinpoint it precisely, she had a rough idea. There was definitely a moment when she fell into a losing streak. When was that…?
[Wasn’t it after getting absolutely wrecked by Kayak?]
[For real, lol]
[Kayak, who absorbs Nicang’s skills ㄷㄷ]
Looking at the chat was embarrassing, but it was helpful.
Once again, collective intelligence provided assistance.
“Kayak….”
Nicang muttered that name quietly. A person who had soared to a tier that Nicang couldn’t reach.
Turns out, she’s a woman. Recently, it was also heard that she started broadcasting.
Thinking about it from the viewers’ perspective, the timing fits.
Yeah, that was it. The day she got completely annihilated by Kayak’s bizarre Camilla.
From that day on, Nicang strangely couldn’t win games. It was as if she had been cursed by a witch, falling into a slump.
So, now she had at least roughly pieced together the truth of the incident. That shocking defeat at the hands of Kayak was likely the cause.
It must have been due to the defeat.
The real issue is that the crazed dancer, Kwangnyeon, left behind a sort of trauma.
Because of that, the confidently aggressive player Ni-cang has likely lost her unique aggressive style.
‘But how do I fix this…?’
I’ve identified the cause. I’ve identified the cause, but.
The problem is that this issue has seeped into her gameplay so unconsciously that Ni-cang isn’t even aware of it.
Of course, there’s nothing stopping her from fixing it, but to do so, she would have to meticulously pay attention to her movements and every single skill for each game.
That kind of correction work would undoubtedly be exhausting for Ni-cang, especially after going on a losing streak and facing a rank demotion. Yet, she couldn’t just end the broadcast now.
She was scratching her head with an annoyed look on her face when…
[CamillaStrong donated 10,000 won!]
-Teacher, since you’ve been demoted, how about trying different heroes? Our Camilla is actually pretty good, haha.
“Camilla?”
[Oh no, don’t do that]
[Camilla sucks lol, she only plays Kayak]
[Kayak looks fun when I watch the streams]
[If you’re feeling down after losing to Camilla, then playing her would make sense lol]
[From the broadcast host’s playstyle, Bruiser seems more fitting]
[Still, Camilla isn’t it;;]
[Abyss says – Camilla is a five-star difficulty hero]
[Did Gold hit Camilla??]
The heroes Ni-cang mainly played in Abyss were all long-range attack types.
This was to utilize her experience from playing FPS games predominantly.
In fact, because of that experience, she had even achieved platinum status despite being a rookie just starting out.
But now, what good is that? She’s fallen to gold.
Maybe, as the donor suggested, trying out different heroes since she’s been demoted wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
In the past, Ni-cang would have ignored such advice and stubbornly stuck to only long-range heroes, but today, that suggestion sounded quite tempting.
‘It’s like a refresh.’
After all, to rise up, a basic understanding of all heroes would be essential.
With her newfound enjoyment in Abyss, and truly resolved to climb the ranks, it felt right to take this time.
With that thought concluded, Ni-cang slowly nodded.
“Alright, since I’ve already fallen… let’s treat this as practice and try something else.”
Thus, the first hero Ni-cang chose was one familiar to both the viewers and herself.
-Please dance with me.
The silver-haired girl on the screen danced and locked eyes with Ni-cang.